Alaskans shine on national stage

David Norris of Fairbanks and Scott Patterson of Anchorage struck gold at the Junior Olympic national cross-country championships in Maine, while Andreas Adde and Alex Parker earned All-American honors for UAA at the NCAA championships in Colorado.

Norris won the Older Junior boys race and Patterson won the Junior I boys race at the Junior Olympics in Presque Isle, Maine, where three other Alaskans also captured medals.

Norris, who skis for the Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, registered the fastest 15-kilometer classic time in the interval-start race, finishing in 42 minutes, 16.3 seconds. He was 3.3 seconds ahead of second-place Sam Tarling of Team New England.

Patterson, who skis for the Alaska Winter Stars, had the third fastest overall time and the fastest in his age group, clocking 42:54.7. Silas Talbot, another Alaska Winter Stars skier, was third among Junior I boys in 44:04.1.

Other medal winners for Alaska, which ranks second to New England in the race for the Alaska Cup team title with two races remaining, were Rebecca Konieczny of UAF, third in the Older Junior girls 10-kilometer classic in 34:16.9, and Marion Woods of the Alaska Winters Stars, third in the Junior II girls 5-K classic in 17:25.7.

Annie Liotta, the only Alaskan to win a medal in Monday's sprint races, just missed taking another medal in the Junior I 10-K classic. She placed fourth in 34:07.2, 10 seconds out of third place.

At Steamboat Springs, Colo., Adde and Parker both earned second-team All-American honors in the giant slalom.

Adde, a freshman from Norway, tied for ninth place in the men's race. Parker, a sophomore from Canada who was an All-American last season too, tied for 10th place in the women's race.

UAA is seventh among 22 teams after the first of four days of NCAA championships. Denver leads with 239 points; UAA has 111. Action continues today with cross-country races.

NCAA Ski Championships

Steamboat Springs, Colo.

Team scores (2 of 8 events)--1. Denver 239; 2. Utah 196.5; 3. Vermont 178.5; 4. New Mexico 173; 5. Dartmouth 148; 6. Colorado 143; 7. Alaska-Anchorage 111; 8. New Hampshire 104; 9. Middlebury 99.5; 10. Montana State 53; 11. Colby 51.5; 12. Williams 44; 13. Bates 30; 14. Nevada 25; 15. St. Lawrence 22; 16. St. Michael's 6.

Women's Giant Slalom--1. Eva Huckova, UU, 1:54.54; 2. Lindsay Cone, DU, 1:55.48; 3. Katie Hartman, CU, 1:55.86. UAA results -- 10) Alexandra Parker, 1:57.65; 19) Petra Gantnerova, 1:58.43; 32) Kayla Fry, 2:07.77; 33.

Men's Giant Slalom--1. Leif Haugen, DU, 1:48.84; 2. Ace Tarberry, DAR, 1:49.01; 3. David Donaldson, UVM, 1:49.13. UAA results -- 9) Andreas Adde, 1:50.30; 18) Halfdan Falkum-Hansen, 1:51.11.

Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships

Presque Isle, Maine

Girls Junior II (14-15 years)

5-kilometer classic

1) Corey Stock, New England, 17:01.4; 2) Heather Mooney, New England, 17:14.9; 3) Marion Woods, Alaska Winter Stars, 17:25.7. Other Alaskans -- 5) Celia Haering, APU Nordic Ski Center, 18:02.5; 17) Stephanie Kirk, Alaska Nordic Racing, 19:01.1; 21) Maranda Merkes, ANR, 19:16.0; 25) Amelia Hennessy, APU, 19:23.1; 28) Teagan Wutrzenka, AWS, 19:25.6; 31) Tsaina Mahlen, APU, 19:30.7; 45) Ema Mayo, Fairbanks Alaska Ski Team, 20:57.5.

Boys Junior II (14-15)

5-kilometer classic

1) Cole Morgan, Intermountain, 15:52.7; 2) Jack Hegman, New England, 15:53.3; 3) Matthew Nichols, Midwest, 15:55.2. Alaskans -- 6) Austin Hess, AWS, 16:08.6; 7) John Glen, AWS, 16:13.6; 20) Jack Parke, Service High, 16:48.9; 22) Kyle Hanson, Lathrop, 16:51.5; 28) Schyler Knapp, ANR, 17:25.0; 36) Erich Hoefler, FAST, 17:48.7; 38) Riley Troyer, West Valley, 17:55.1; 40) Jake Prince, AWS, 18:11.5.

Girls Junior I (16-17)

10-kilometer classic

1) Annie Pokorny, Pacific Northwest, 33:37.5; 2) Annie Hart, Midwest, 33:45.3; 3) Isabel Caldwell, New England, 33:57.2. Alaskans -- 4) Annie Liotta, AWS, 34:07.2; 8) Kate Backstrum, AWS, 34:35.3; 10) Tristan Ramey, AWS, 34:50.7; 11) Karina Packer, AWS, 35:03.1; 12) Hannah Boyer, Fairbanks Cross Country, 35:04.1; 16) Mackenzie Kanady, AWS, 35:14.6; 33) Kinsey Loan, ANR, 36:09.0; 35) Emily Rogers, AWS, 36:25.2; 44) Krystal McPhetres, ANR, 37:08.2; 47) Allison Ross, AWS, 37:24.4; 51) Anna Price, AWS, 37:31.2; 52) Becky Butler, AWS, 37:33.4; 57) Bree Mucha, ANR, 38:00.2.

Boys Junior I (16-17)

15-kilometer classic

1) Scott Patterson, AWS, 42:54.7; 2) David Sinclair, New England, 43:07.6; 3) Silas Talbot, AWS, 44:04.1. Other Alaskans -- 5) Eric Ryan, AWS, 44:43.7; 8) Kyle Barnhart, APU, 45:35.0; 10) Noah Hagen, AWS, 45:46.3; 15) Jack Novak, APU, 46:06.1; 27) Isaac Lammers, ANR, 47:14.8; 38) Forrest Mahlen, APU, 47:54.6; 46) Carl Smith, ANR, 48:36.3; 53) Sam Dougherty, AWS, 49:04.4.

Girls Older Junior (18-19)

10-kilometer classic

1) Kaitlynn Miller, New England, 33:56.5; 2) Liza Goodwin, Intermountain, 33:58.2; 3) Rebecca Konieczny, UAF, 34:16.9. Other Alaskans -- 9) Jessie Yeaton, ANR, 35:05.5; 17) Kailey Mucha, ANR, 36:08.7; 18) Heather Edic, UAF, 36:21.9; 19) Marissa Rorabaugh, Fairbanks X-C, 36:32.3; 22) Alyson McPhetres, ANR, 37:34.6.

Boys Older Junior (18-19)

15-kilometer classic

1) David Norris, FAST, 42:16.3; 2) Sam Tarling, New England, 42:19.6; 3) Russell Kennedy, Far West, 43:14.3. Other Alaskans -- 22) Neil Liotta, AWS, 46:11.8; 25) Lars Arneson, UAF, 46:20.7; 27) Jordan Buetow, Fairbanks X-C, 46:34.8.