Two Alaskans claimed medals Friday at the U.S. Junior National cross-country ski championships in Soda Springs, California.
Thomas O'Harra of the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Club claimed Alaska's second gold medal of the competition when he won the men's U20 15-kilometer classic technique race in 40 minutes, 0.3 seconds, besting Northern Michigan University's Ian Torchia by 9.2 seconds.
APU's Alex Loan was the next Alaskan in 16th.
Alaska Winter Stars skier Canyon Tobin earned his second medal of the championships by finishing second in the U-16 boys 5-kilometer classic race. Tobin was in a dead heat with winner Nolan Herzog of Colorado at the halfway mark, but Herzog pulled away to win in 17:48.7. Tobin, who also won gold in the 5-kilometer freestyle Wednesday, held on for second, finishing in 17:53.6 to edge California's James Schoonmaker by three-tenths of a second.
Alaska's Ti Donaldson of Fairbanks narrowly missed the podium, crossing the line 0.8 seconds behind Schoonmaker to place fourth.
Team Alaska has won five medals in three days of racing at the competition, which began Monday.
Other top Alaskans on Wednesday included Alaska Nordic Racing's Sarissa Lammers, who was ninth in the U20 women's 10-K race, APU's Hunter Wonders, who was sixth in the U18 men's 10-K classic, APU's Lydia Blanchet, who was 10th in the women's U18 10-K classic and Alaska Winter Stars' Molly Gellert, who was sixth in the women's U16 5-K classic.
Racing concludes Saturday with freestyle relays.