Durango Nordic Skiers Shine

After subzero temperatures and whipping snow blizzards, the Durango Nordic Ski Team returned home from training and racing in West Yellowstone during Thanksgiving vacation.  They appreciated more snow with warmer temperatures for the first week of on snow training at the Durango Nordic Center.  Just five days later, the team repacked and traveled to Frisco, for the season’s first NRL (National Ranking List) race.   

The Gold Run Nordic Center welcomed a large field of club, collegiate and citizen Nordic racers to marginal snow and 40 degrees. Five and ten kilometer skate technique events began Saturday morning with J2 and older women (ages 14 to 30 ).  J1 skiers AliciaRose Pastore placed 4^th and Hannah Madden followed in 11^th place.  Amy Katz placed 3^rd in the J2 women’s class, with Hannah Peterson 9^th, Kaylee Blevins 10^th, Lily Oswald 13^th and Emma Greenberg finishing in 17^th place.

J1 and older men skied the same course but twice for a 10 kilometer race.  J1 skiers Gino Pastore crossed the finish line in 2^nd place, and Sepp Kuss in 6^th place.  Haakon Samuleson placed 4^th in the men’s OJ field.  Durango Nordic Ski Club alumni Tad Elliott and Lars Ellefson finished 2^nd and 21^st, respectively, among senior men.  Cully Brown lead DNSC in 2^nd place followed by teammate Haakon Sigurslid in 4th.  J3 skier Charlie Greenberg earned gold for the team winning his 3k skate race.

Sunday’s 10K classic technique events started with J1 men.  Gino Pastore placed 3^rd and Sepp Kuss 8^th.   Haakon Samuleson finished 3^rd in the men’s OJ class.  Tad Elliott and Lars Ellefson crossed the finished 11^th and 12^th, respectively.  AliciaRose Pastore placed 6^th in the J1 women’s field and Hannah Madden 14^th.  J2 boys Cully Brown and Haakon Sigurslid swept the 5k course with Brown 1^st and Sigurslid 2^nd.  J2 girls Amy Katz finished 6^th, followed closely by Kaylee Blevins 7^th.  Teammates Hannah Peterson placed 12, Lily Oswald 13th and Emma Greenberg 17^th.  Charlie Greenberg skied the 3K course placing 3^rd in the J3 boy’s class.

The team’s next race will be this Saturday, December 11^th at 9:00am at the Durango Nordic Center.  The classic technique races will offer 1k, 3k, 5k and 10k distances for all interested skiers.  Race entries can be paid at the Nordic Center between 8am and 9am on Saturday.  They hope to see lots of locals come race and join the fun.