Sports

Kent, Christianson win slaloms

K.C. Kent and Kieffer Christianson, both home for the holidays, won the opening slalom Tuesday in the four-race Coca Cola Holiday Classic at Alyeska Tuesday.

Kent, a senior at Rowmark Hall prep school and ski academy in Utah, won the women's race. Morgan Osborn, a Junior 1 skier for the Alyeska Ski Club, was the second woman, 1.5 seconds back. Third was Ashlee Weller, a Junior 3 skier for the Alyeska Ski Club.

Christianson, a Dartmouth freshman, is a member of the U.S. Ski Team development team. He finished two seconds ahead of UAA senior Ryan Wolosyn after a dramatic save in the final hairpin on the second course.

Christianson explained that "it was a little exciting when I took the hairpin backwards," a normally fatal tactical error. "I was out of the course for a second there, but got back in."

Eyewitnesses attributed Christianson's recovery to a minor miracle of agility and athleticism.

The prospect of an entertaining confrontation between Christianson and UAA racers Halfdan Falkum-Hansen and Chris Kollenborg ended when Falkum-Hansen and Kollenborg didn't finish the first run.

The long-running race series, which continues today with a giant slalom, recognizes racers in an open class, for J-2s and older, and a developmental class, for youngsters beginning to challenge the older, faster skiers.

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The developmental women raised some eyebrows Tuesday. Weller, the top developmental woman, was third overall, with two solid runs. Sydney Hennegan, second in the developmental class, was fifth overall, less than two seconds off the overall podium. And Jordan Lane, the third developmental woman, had the fastest women's second-run time, nearly eight-tenths faster than Kent.

The top three developmental men, Barren Cabana, Anton Eriksson, and Garrett Mashburn, were 12th, 13th and 16th overall.

Racing today begins at 11:15 a.m. on Alyeska's Race Trail.

Coca-Cola Holiday Classic

Tuesday's giant slalom

Men

Seniors -- 1) Ryan Wolosyn 1:27.71. Junior 1 -- 1) Kieffer Christianson 1:25.49; 2) Morgan Haymans 1:35.98; 3) Ryan Pease 1:37.34; 4) Jacob Dahl 1:38.83; 5) Tanner Cabana 1:41.89; 6) Matthew Vandor 1:43.40; 7) Alexander Erickson 1:45.41. Junior 2 -- 1) Dylan Fox 1:35.92; 2) Kiefer Davis 1:36.67; 3) Nicolas Crews 1:40.75; 4) Stephen Vandenhoogen 1:50.57; 5) Stuart Bembenek 1:55.21. Junior 3 -- 1) Barren Cabana 1:45.91; 2) Anton Eriksson 1:49.26; 3) Gabe Berbig 1:55.81; 4) Tristan Udomporn 1:56.64; 5) Raymond Wessels 2:08.5; 6) Reily Buck 2:20.69; 7) Tyler Dunn 2:21.53.

Women

Junior 1 -- 1) K.C. Kent 1:38.22; 2) Morgan Osborn 1:39.73; 3) Amy Davis 1:42.22; 4) Suzie Doll 1:45.46. Junior 2 -- 1) Sarah Lundgren 1:45.64; 2) Sarah Powell 1:45.98; 3) Hannah Ingrim 1:52.08; 4) Katie Kestner 2:01.09. Junior 3 -- 1) Ashlee Weller 1:41.56; 2) Sydney Henegan 1:43.25; 3) Jordan Lane 1:44.63; 4) Caroline Requa 1:52.10; 5) Madison Mashburn 1:53.74; 6) Irene Bembenek 1:54.94; 7) Claire Walker 2:05.06; 8) Annika Priebe 2:27.81.

Anchorage Daily News

sports@adn.com

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