The Kenai Klassic, held under sunny skies with temperatures at about 30 degrees, employed the mass start format, with all the racers in each race starting at once. One of the benefits of that format is the exciting finish, and girls varsity winner Klaar won in exhilarating fashion.
Klaar and Soldotna freshman Kailey Mucha broke clear of all the other racers about 7 kilometers into the race.
Klaar then defeated Mucha to the all-important turn with 200 meters left.
“I cut in front of her and it slowed her down a little bit,” Klaar said. “That made it hard for her to catch up to me.”
Klaar’s winning time was 32:47.9, while Mucha came in .5 seconds behind. Mucha had never done a 10-kilometer freestyle race before Saturday.
“I’m happy with second place,” Mucha said. “Erika is a good skier. She deserved it.”
The Kenai Nordic Trails is a flat course, but that did not make things easier on the skiers.
The long track may have proved a benefit for some of the Mariner skiers, however, said Head Mariner Coach Ida Martin.
“Some of the girls enjoy longer races,” said Martin. “They get to use strategy more.”
With 43 Homer kids out for the ski team, depth has been a big plus for the Mariners this year, Martin said.
“Someone said it was like one-tenth of the high school population is out for the ski team,” she said.
The Mariners had four girls skiers in the top 10 including Klaar, Emma Laukitis who finished fifth, Claire Laukitis, sixth, and Thorey Munro, ninth.
The boys team finished sixth overall with Gus Beck finishing 19th in his first race of the year to lead the Mariners.
The Mariner team will split up this weekend as six or seven skiers plan on attending the Besh Cup races in Soldotna on Saturday and Sunday. The rest will head to Seward for a high school race on Saturday.
Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homer news.com
Peninsula Clarion reporter Jeff Helminiak contributed to this report.
Saturday at Kenai Nordic Trails
BOYS
Team scores:
Individual 15-kilometer results
1. Ryan Van Gorder, Col, 42:01.4;
GIRLS
Team scores:
Individual 10-kilometer results
1. Erika Klaar, Hom, 32:47.9;
1. Skyview, 2 hours, 54 minutes, 11.6 seconds;
2. Colony, 2:57:29.7;
3. Kenai, 2:59:40.0;
4. Soldotna, 3:03:50.2;
5. Nikiski, 3:19:11.1;
6. Homer, 3:22:30.6;
7. Palmer, 3:24:07.5;
8. Seward, 3:33:27.0;
9. Wasilla, 4:00:13.0.
2. Trent Semmens, Ken, 42:01.7;
3. Erick Romig, Sky, 42:02.0;
4. Chris Hall, Ken, 42:31.4;
5. Tommy Honer, Sky, 43:11.3;
6. Taylor Karnikis, Sky, 42:20.9;
7. Nick Whitmore, Col, 43:54.4;
8. Mason Wick, Col, 44:15.5;
9. Caleb Gordon, Sol, 44:22.3;
10. Lucas Thein, Sky, 45:37.4.
1. Homer, 2:16:59.2;
2. Kenai, 2:22:26.1;
3. Palmer, 2:27:00.9;
4. Colony, 2:28:34.0;
5. Soldotna, 2:28:51.0;
6. Seward, 2:35:39.4;
7. Wasilla, 2:48:07.6.
2. Kailey Mucha, Sol, 32:48.4;
3. Sarah Glaser, Sew, 33:10.5;
4. Kendra Merkes, Sky, 33:25.7;
5. Emma Laukitis, Hom, 34:26.8;
6. Claire Laukitis, Hom, 34:43.9;
7. Molly Watkins, Ken, 34:49.6;
8. Sarah Cresap, Gar, 34:59.0;
9. Thorey Munro, Hom, 35:00.6;
10. Erin Skvorc, Col, 35:12.0.
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