Race starter Bob Voris sees J2 competitor Celia Haering off during the girls races, as part of the Besh Cup series, held at the Beach Lake ski trails in Chugiak Sunday. It was the second race in the series. PHOTO by DAVID MORSE

School might not have been in session, but the parking lot at Chugiak High School was full Sunday as the second of six Besh Cup cross-country ski races was held at the Beach Lake Trails.

The annual event attracted more than 260 athletes on perfectly groomed trails for the individual classical style race. Race distances varied from 1 to 15 kilometers, with athletes from J6 (age 6-7) to masters level 5 and 6 (age 50 and older).

The race was set to a festive mode with Christmas carols broadcast from the starting tower, interspersed with the announced starts and finishes made by volunteer, local Dr. Jeff Brand.

One of Santa's many helpers Bob Voris, was likewise adorned with red cap and affixed white pom-pom. Athletes at the start gates were equipped with a kick bar at mid-calf to initiate the automated timing device.

Local athletes were well represented among top finishers with Chugiak and Eagle River high school athletes among the mix, as well as alumni from both schools coming back from college and sporting their current school uniforms.

In the individual interval, 5K classical race for Junior skiers, local athletes packed four of the top seven finishing positions with Kinsey Loan, second; Jasmine Clock, third, Kate Backstrum, fifth; and Kryston McPhetres, seventh. Both Loan and McPhetres ski for the Chugiak girls team.

In the older women's race, former Chugiak teammates and opponents from Eagle River High were again in tight clusters finishes with Lauren Fritz, 13th; Alice Bradley, 19th; Alyson McPhetres, 20th; and Sarah Tegeler, 21st.

In the girls J5 race, Mirror Lake eighth-grader Sarrissa Lammers placed second in the 2-kilometer races in 8 minutes, 10.10 seconds, less than two seconds behind the division winner.

In the men's races, the best finishers among locals, present and past, were provided by Isaac Lammers, Sarrissa's older brother, 16th in the junior two, 5K race, in 11:51.50.

Michigan Tech University sophomore Colin Singleton, an Eagle River High School graduate, was at the leading edge of local finishers in the 15K classical, the day's longest race, with a time of 33:31.40, placing 39th.

Former Chugiak skier Fritz, now attending Middlebury College, had a good day during the previous day's Besh Cup race, a one-kilometer freestyle sprint, Saturday at Kincaid Park, placing ninth in the combined OJ (older juniors/ /seniors/masters) women's race. Recent Eagle River graduate Tegeler placed 14th in the same race division.

Loan placed second in the girls J2 category with a time of 3 minutes, 35.80 seconds - fourth overall among all women.

Former high school state skimeister Justin Singleton, another Chugiak graduate, placed second overall in the men's OJ/senior/masters division with a time of 2:55.18.

The local ski club, the Anchorage Nordic Racing Association, with coaches Ja Dorris and Jon Kehler were well-represented, both in results and numbers, with nearly fifty participants.

Fairbanks and Salcha Clubs were also in attendance, along with a dozen-plus high schools with skiers from Anchorage, the Valley, Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula on hand.

Reach the reporter at editor@alaskastar.com.

Besh Cup Race Series

Saturday, Dec. 19

Kincaid Park

Women (Winner and local skiers only)

J6 - 1) Amber Hajdukovich, Salcha, 6:26.80.

J5 - 1) Amber Lenze, FBX, 5:54.60.

J4 - 1) Lydia Blanchet, Anch. Jr. Nordic, 4:43.10; 4) Sarrissa Lammers, 4:31.00; 5) Morgan Flynn, 5:06:24.

J3 - 1) Marion Woods, AWS, 3:51.64; 10) Mackenzie Flynn, 4:21; 12) Jacqueline Klecka, 4:32.56; 17) Zoey Grenier, 6:06.88.

J2 - 1) Mackenzie Kanady, AWS, 3:32.75; 2) Kinsey Loan, 3:35.80; 6) Jasmine Clock, 3:39.23; 8) Kate Backstrum, 3:36.92; 10) Bree Mucha, 3:45.85; 11) Kryston McPhetres, 3:48.30; 17) Petra Davis, 3:55.15; 23) Kimberly Del Frate; 4:09.34; 26) Josephine Reagle, 4:14.72; 27) Bonnie Scott, 4:18:07; 28) Amanda Del Frate, 4:19.62; 32) Kristen Lessard, 4:41.78.

J1/OJ/Senior - 1) Katie Ronsse, 3:27.13; 9) Lauren Fritz, 3:37.30; 14) Sarah Tegeler, 3:38.51; 18) Alyson McPhetres, 3:51.67; 24) Alice Bradley, 3:57.42; 42) Anna Rix, 4:12.73; 46) Jenny Klecka, 4:17.09; 51) Sarah Poggi, 4:27.83; 52) Tae Freeman, 4:33.34; 54) Maya Johnson 4:45.95.

Men (Winner and local skiers only)

J6 - 1) Job Thomas, no affiliation, 6:22.10.

J5 - 1) Tracen Knopp, ANR, 4:56.10; 3) Dawson Knopp, 5:51.40.

J4 - 1) Magnus Pedersen, 3:58.28.

J3 - 1) Jan Grzeda, Fairbanks, 3:35.86; 4) Schyler Knopp, 3:47.21; 11) Alex Loan, 4:31.16; 14) David McPhetres, 4:47.89.

J2 - 1) Scott Patterson, AWS, 2:54.81; 13) Carl Smith, 3:19.03; 19) Isaac Lammers, 3:24.55; 22) Ben Fitzgerald, 3:29.36; 26) Conrad Chapman, 3:45.24; 28) Cameron Fritz, 3:50.17.

J1/OJ/Senior - 1) Anders Haugen, APU, 2:49.53; 2) Justin Singleton, 2:55.18; 35) Trent Semmens, 3:10.48; 39) Colin Singleton, 3:13.46; 43) Steven Bender, 3:16.09; 62) Ian Voorhees, 3:24.71; 63) Simon Gilliland, 3:25.33; 66) Joseph Klecka, 3:25.56; 72) Abe Schmidt, 3:28.75; 74) Jacob Arthen, 3:29.58; 84) Sam Brewer, 3:38.57; 91) Dan Bradley, 3:52.49; 93) Isaac Pickett, 3:52.83.

Race No. 2

Saturday, Dec. 20

At Chugiak High/Beach Lake Trails

Women (Winner and local skiers only)

J6, 1K - 1) Amber Hajdukovich, Salcha, 7:25.30.

J5. 2K - 1) Lydia Blanchet, Anchorage Jr. Nordic, 8:08.50; 2) Sarrissa Lammers, 8:10.10; 5) Morgan Flynn, 8:25.20.

J4/J3/J2, 5K - 1) Karina Packer, AWS, 12:27.0; 2) Kinsey Loan, 12:29.20; 3) Jasmine Clock, 12:30.30; 5) Kate Backstrum, 12:43.60; 7) Kryston McPhetres, 13:06.40; 20) Petra Davis, 14:00.80; 27) Bonnie Scott, 14:42.60; 28) Amanda Del Frate, 14:45.60; 30) Kristen Lessard, 14:50.90; 34) Bree Mucha, 15:25.00; 36) Josephine Reagle, 15:28.30; 39) Mackenzie Flynn, 15:39.00; 46) Jacqueline Klecka, 17:32.40; 49) Zoey Grenier, 19:46.30.

OJ/Senior/Master, 10K - 1) Kasandra Rice, APU, 22:36.60; 13) Lauren Fritz, 24:29.20; 19) Alice Bradley, 24:48.90; 20) Alyson McPhetres, 24:51.20; 21) Sarah Tegeler, 25:09.70; 23) Kailey Mucha, 25:10.90; 26) Camrin Dengel, 25:25.30; 35) Rosalyn Singleton, 26:34.00; 43) Rachel Carey, 27:05.30; 48) Sheryl Loan, 27:27.60; 50) Anna Rix, 27:43.20; 59) Tae Freeman, 30:51.60; 61) Jenny Klecka, 32:19.30.

Men (Winner and local skiers only)

J4/J5, 2K - 1) Magnus Pedersen, AWS, 7:19.70; 3) Tracen Knopp, 8:11.50; 5) Dawson Knopp, 8:39.50.

J2, 5K - 1) Scott Patterson, 10:21.20; 15) Carl Smith, 11:50.80; 16) Isaac Lammers, 11:51.50; 20) Ben Fitzgerald, 12:35.20; 24) Schyler Knopp, 12:39.50; 27) Cameron Fritz, 12:53.20; 41) Alex Loan, 15:48.60; 44) David McPhetres, 17:04.80.80;

J1/OJ/Senior/Masters, 15K - 1) Marius Korthauer, unaff, 29:56; 39) Colin Singleton, 33:31.40; 42) Trent Semmens, 33:55.30; 53) Steven Bender, 35:10.50; 61) Ian Voorhees, 35:53.60; 62) Jacob Arthen, 35:57.60; 70) Simon Gilliland, 36:42.80; 73) Abe Schmidt, 36:50.50; 87) Sam Brewer, 38:43.70; 90) Dan Bradley, 39:06.10; 102) Isaac Pickett, 42:32.20.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, December 24, 2009.