West Valley, Service skiers earn one of Alaska’s most coveted titles: Skimeister

Kendall Kramer ran away with a state Skimeister title Friday while Alexander Maurer climbed off with his.

West Valley’s Kramer won the girls 7.5-kilometer classic technique race by more than 50 seconds to sweep both individual races and claim her third straight Skimeister title, awarded to the skier with the best combined time from Thursday’s freestyle race and Friday’s classic race.

Kramer, a senior, won the Skimeister title by more than a minute over Service’s Tatum Witter, who placed second in both races. Chugiak’s Adrianna Proffitt finished third in the Skimeister standings after placing third in Thursday’s race and fourth in Friday’s race.

Kramer took control of Friday’s mass-start race immediately, putting a gap between herself and the chase pack within the first kilometer.

Kramer said she never looks back and relies on her ears to keep an eye on her competitors.

“What I’ve learned to do is hear when people are cheering for me and then hear for the gap between when they cheer for me and when they cheer for the next person and that’s how I gauge how close they are,” she said. “Because my mom told me there’s a rule when I’m racing, I can never look behind me, that’s not allowed.”

Had she looked back, Kramer would have seen nothing but empty space. She finished 51.7 seconds ahead of Witter and 54.7 seconds ahead of third-place Garvee Tobin of Service.

The races were held in snowy conditions and temperatures just below freezing that made waxing a challenge. The Fairbanks-raised Kramer credited her coaches with adapting to the tricky conditions.

“Usually when it’s snowing like this in Fairbanks it’s really slow snow and so this was interesting,” she said. “Our coaches never have to wax for this so I’m really glad they pulled it through and gave us some good skis.”

Kramer is the third girl in 40 years to win three or more Skimeister awards, and she’s the second from West Valley. Hannah Boyer won three straight for the Wolf Pack from 2010-12, and Tara Hamilton won four straight for Service from 1998-2001. Hamilton’s reign came when her biggest rival was East’s Kikkan Randall, who skied to an Olympic gold medal in 2018.

Kramer said she’s proud of being crowned the best high school skier in Alaska, where the field includes some of the country’s top young racers. Five Alaskans, including Kramer, are members of the U.S. team that will compete in the upcoming World Junior Championships in Germany.

“All of the girls are really capable of being good at the national level, so I think it says a lot what place you are at the Alaska state championships,” she said. “... On the boys side if you’re winning Alaska state championships that means you’re going to be top in the nation.”

[Photos: Alaska’s best high school skiers race for state titles]

Maurer, a Service High junior, had a 14.8 second lead over West Valley’s Eric Difolco and more than 30 seconds over Chugiak’s Michael Earnhart after Thursday’s race. Midway through Friday’s competition it became apparent the Skimeister crown was his to lose as both Difolco and Earnhart slipped off the lead pace.

“Around the start of the last 5K I started going a little harder just to make space between me and the other skiers,” Maurer said.

By the big climb on the Lekisch Loop, only Service’s Joel Power and Dimond’s Peter Hinds were hanging with Maurer. By the top of the hill, Maurer was alone.

He went on to finish seven seconds ahead of Power and 11 seconds ahead of Hinds. Earnhart was fourth and moved up to second in the overall Skimeister standings, while Hinds finished third in the overall standings.

“I started pushing way harder on Lekisch and that’s where I gapped them a little bit,” said Maurer, who placed fifth in the Skimeister standings last year.

Winning one of the most coveted titles in Alaska cross-country skiing was a thrill, he said — especially with state back at Kincaid for the first time since 2016.

“It’s pretty awesome, it’s been a dream of mine for a couple years now and it’s definitely a cool feeling to do that on my home turf,” he said.

The Service boys have claimed four of the last five Skimeister titles. Gus Schumacher won the crown in 2018 and 2017 and Canyon Tobin won it in 2016.

Maurer and Power were among four Service skiers in the top 12 of Friday’s boys race. Aaron Power, the day’s top freshman, placed sixth and Hayden Ulbrich placed 12th.

In the girls race, the Cougars landed five skiers in the top 10. Along with Witter and Tobin, Marit Flora placed seventh, Neena Brubacker was eighth and Meredith Schwartz was the top freshman in 10th place.

Service’s big day put the Cougars in position to sweep the team titles Saturday, when the meet wraps up with relay races. The Service boys and girls both lead West Valley by more than three minutes.

Boys State Skimeisters

Year Skier Team

2020 — Alexander Maurer Service

2019 — Zanden McMullen South

2018 — Gus Schumacher Service

2017 — Gus Schumacher Service

2016 — Canyon Tobin Service

2015 — Max Donaldson West Valley

2014 — Max Donaldson West Valley

2013 — Max Donaldson West Valley

2012 — Isaac Lammers Chugiak

2011 — Logan Hanneman Lathrop

2010 — Scott Patterson South

2009 — Scott Patterson South

2008 — Scott Patterson South

2007 — Patrick Johnson Service

2006 — Patrick Johnson Service

2005 — Mike Hinckley Service

2004 — Mike Hinckley Service

2003 — Justin Singleton Chugiak

2002 — Justin Singleton Chugiak

2001 — Zach Hill Service

2000 — Eric Strabel Colony

1999 — Eric Strabel Colony

1998 — Eric Strabel Colony

1997 — Rob Whitney Service

1996 — Rob Whitney Service

1995 — Jeremy Teela Service

1994 — Peter Oswald Service

1993 — Paul Stone West

1992 — Todd Montalbo Dimond

1991 — Todd Montalbo Dimond

1990 — Doug Spurr West

1989 — Jim Oksoktarok West

1988 — Craig Hartman Dimond

1987 — Tim Schrage Dimond

1986 — Doug Wester Chugiak

1985 — Tony Slaton West

1984 — Steve Wight Dimond

1983 — Garnet Morrow Dimond

1982 — Andy White West Valley

1981 — Ian White West Valley

1980 — K. Brownsberger East

Girls Past State Skimeisters

Year Skier Team

2020 — Kendall Kramer West Valley

2019 — Kendall Kramer West Valley

2018 — Kendall Kranmer West Valley

2017 — Molly Gellert West

2016 — Magdalen York West

2015 — Lydia Blanchet West

2014 — Sarissa Lammers Chugiak

2013 — Lydia Blanchet West

2012 — Hannah Boyer West Valley

2011 — Hannah Boyer West Valley

2010 — Hannah Boyer West Valley

2009 — Kinsey Loan Chugiak

2008 — Jaime Bronga East

2007 — Caitlin Patterson South

2006 — Amy Glen West

2005 — Fiona Worcester West

2004 — Katie Ronsse Service

2003 — Paige Brady Service

2002 — Paige Brady Service

2001 — Tara Hamilton Service

2000 — Tara Hamilton Service

1999 — Tara Hamilton Service

1998 — Tara Hamilton Service

1997 — Kate Pearson Lathrop

1996 — Kate Pearson Lathrop

1995 — Hailey Wappet Lathrop

1994 — Teresa Hunt Service

1993 — Amy Crawford Service

1992 — Aelin Peterson West Valley

1991 — Aelin Peterson West Valley

1990 — Denali Kemppel West

1989 — Gretchen Pfister Dimond

1988 — D’Anna Dorris West

1987 — D’Anna Dorris West

1986 — Nina Kemppel West

1985 — Nina Kemppel West

1984 — Lanny Montague Dimond

1983 — Val Davidson Eielson

1982 — Mara Rabinowitz West Valley

1981 — Mara Rabinowitz West Valley

1980 — Ester Clark Dimond

The list of Skimeisters was updated to correct what school Logan Hanneman skied for in 2011.