麻豆社区

After an outstanding week at the Haywood Ski Nationals in Whistler, B.C., the Yukon ski team took home a fourth-place finish in overall club aggregate standings.

Sixty-seven clubs from across Canada were represented at the national championships, bringing more than 600 athletes to the races. Points are awarded for performances in the top 30 for each race and category.

The Ottawa-based Nakkertok Nordic Cross-Country Ski Club placed first at the championship.

"Prior to the championship, we weren't sure how we would do as a club,鈥� said head coach Alain Masson. "We were surprised actually. There were lots of results that weren't expected.鈥�

Seventeen Yukon skiers competed in the various events. In individual aggregate categories, Caelan McLean finished second overall, among Juvenile Boys, while Marcus Deuling placed fourth.

"It was great to see them race so well,鈥� said Masson, who added it was one of the best territorial showings in history. "There's lots of things that made it one of the best. We had eight different individual skiers win at least one medal. That's a best ever.鈥�

The showing reveals a bright future for the sport in the territory, he added.

"That's probably the most satisfying thing,鈥� he said. "We were a bit worried that we wouldn't be able to sustain what had happened in the last five or 10 years. Now we see that we have strong juniors with a bright future. It's very reassuring for the program.鈥�

Three Whitehorse skiers hit the top 10 in the Open Men's group 鈥� Graham Nishikawa was second, David Greer fourth, and Knute Johnsgaard seventh.

Johnsgaard was also recognized as the top U-23 skier of the championships, while Colin Abbott was close behind in fourth.

Meanwhile, Dahria Beatty finished fourth and Kendra Murray sixth in the Junior Women's category.

The skiers will now enjoy some well-deserved rest before heading into their summer training schedule.

The Haywood Ski Nationals wrapped up at the Whistler Olympic Park on Saturday with the long distance races, all using skating technique.

Keeping up the trend for the week, the day featured dazzling sunlight and rapidly-changing conditions that had the wax techs scrambling and spectators slathering on the sunscreen.

The first race of the day was the Open Men's 50-km, with 90 men hitting the start grid together.

With temperatures at the freezing mark early in the day, the course was rock hard and wickedly fast. The pack blew up early as the leaders pushed the pace from the start 鈥� the men went through their first five km in under 12 minutes.

Top Yukoner for the day was Nishikawa, who stuck with the leaders until the last two km when his legs ran out of steam. He crossed the finish line in ninth place, 47 seconds back of U.S. skier Torin Koos.

Greer also had a good race and finished in 12th place.

With temperatures rapidly warming up after the Open Men's race 鈥� they peaked at 14 C during the races later in the day 鈥� organizers managed to keep the courses fast and hard by using fertilizer on the snow. As the day progressed, the athletes swapped out racing suits for shorts and T-shirts, giving the whole event a holiday flavor.

In the Junior Women's 20-km, Beatty turned in a respectable fifth place, followed by Kendra Murray, who placed seventh.

Top Yukon performances for the day came in the Juvenile Boys group, where Deuling picked up a silver medal, followed by McLean in seventh. Both young skiers had superb weeks, showing that they are a duo to look out for in future national competitions.

Meanwhile, last Thursday's competition featured the second day of classic technique sprint racing, with the older skiers hitting the trails this time.

Two Yukon women made the A final in the Junior Women's group, and in an exciting five-wide group finish Beatty was narrowly outsprinted for the win by Sarah Beaudry of Prince George's Caledonia club. Kendra Murray just missed the medal ranks in fourth place.

Janelle Greer, in a return to racing after a year off for injury, had a good qualifying round but didn't make it past the quarter-finals in the Open Women's group.

In the Open Men's field, five Yukoners qualified to ski in the 30-man strong heats, demonstrating to the country that the Whitehorse club has depth of field to spare.

Both Nishikawa and Johnsgaard made it through the quarters and semifinal rounds into the A finals.

The six-man group in the A final hit the corners shoulder to shoulder over the hilly 1.6-km course, ending in a massive photo finish that saw Nishikawa claim a silver medal. Johnsgaard finished in sixth.

David Greer, who narrowly missed making the A final, showed his mettle by winning the B final by a huge margin.

He broke away from the field on the final climb and showed that he is a force to be reckoned with when the going gets tough, taking the heat with a 20-metre margin to give him an overall seventh place finish for the day.