Nic Petit mushes to Willow 300 three-peat for his 2nd win of the season

Nic Petit won his second middle-distance sled dog race of the season by capturing his third consecutive victory in the Willow 300.

Petit beat Brenda Mackey of Nenana to the Sheep Creek finish line by 29 minutes Saturday morning. The Girdwood musher also won last month’s Copper Basin 300.

Driving a team of nine dogs, Petit finished at 9:18 a.m., followed by Mackey and a team of 10 dogs at 9:47 a.m.

The race for third place was a close one between Big Lake mushers Cim Smyth and Tim Pappas. Smyth triumphed by six minutes, finishing at 11:52 a.m. with nine dogs with Pappas right behind, arriving at 11:58 a.m. with 11 dogs.

Fifth place went to 79-year-old Jim Lanier, who pulled in behind a team of 13 at 12:38 p.m.

A field of 30 mushers began the 300-mile race with a mass start Thursday afternoon at Willow Lake.

Finishers as of 3:30 p.m. Saturday — 1) Nic Petit, 9:18 a.m.; 2) Brenda Mackey, 9:47 a.m.; 3 Cim Smyth, 11:52 a.m.; 4) Tim Pappas, 11:58 a.m.; 5) Jim Lanier, 12:38 p.m.; 6) Kelby Dillon, 1:06 p.m.; 7) Jeremiah Klejka, 1:53 p.m.; 8) Matt Paveglio, 2:09 p.m.; 9) Kristy Berrington, 2:14 p.m.; 10) Anna Berrington, 2:18 p.m.; 11) Linwood Fiedler, 2:59; 12) Fabio Beelusconi, 3:12; 13) Joanna Jagow, 3:22 p.m.