Siblings Sadie and Erik Bjornsen, 2014 Olympians who train in a dynamic nordic skiing program in Anchorage, crushed their respective fields Saturday on the opening day of the SuperTour Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Sadie Bjornsen, 25, seized the women's 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) classical race in 27:53.7 seconds to top teammate Chelsea Holmes of Girdwood (28:55.8) by 62 seconds. Both skiers train with the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center.
Bjornsen, a U.S. Ski Team member, said in an email she was thrilled to race on American soil for the first time this season and also to again dress in her APU colors.
Erik Bjornsen, 23, clocked 40:32.6 to win the men's 15-K (9.3-mile) classical race, beating APU teammate Lex Treinen (41:31.1) by 59 seconds.
Sadie Bjornsen is coming off her finest season on the World Cup tour. She finished 23rd in the overall standings.
"I enjoyed sharing the top step (of the podium) with my brother,'' she said in an email. "It is extra fun to win the same day as your sibling. We both love classic, so we tend to have our 'good days' on the same day.''
Saturday's events kicked off the four-race series, which continues with a freestyle sprint Sunday and a mixed relay Tuesday before wrapping with distance races Thursday.
The races are at altitude -- competition takes place above 7,000 feet.
"Not a whole lot of oxygen,'' Sadie Bjornsen wrote. "But what better way to end the season than with a BIG challenge!"
Among other Alaskans in Saturday's women's race, Caitlin Patterson of Anchorage took ninth in 30:23; Rosie Frankowski of APU to 10th in 30:43; Becca Rorabaugh of APU finished 12th in 30:50; Jessica Yeaton of APU came across 22nd in 31:38; Marion Woods of Anchorage claimed 35th in 32:54; and Lauren Fritz of APU was 39th in 33:08.
In the men's race, Reese Hanneman of APU finished 11th in 42:54; Tyler Kornfield of APU took 13th in 43:12; David Norris of APU was 15th in 43:35; Silas Talbot of Anchorage claimed 20th in 44:05; and Eric Packer of APU was 21st in 44:06. Also, Thomas O'Harra of APU finished 26th in 45:43