The cross-country ski team that will race for Yukon at the Arctic Winter Games this March is beginning to take form.
Invites for team positions have been extended to 11 females and eight males following the Don Sumanik Memorial Races Dec. 21 and 22 at the Whitehorse Nordic Centre.
Now it’s decision-making time. The 19 skiers who received invites will soon decide between competing at the Arctic Winter Games in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Haywood Ski Nationals taking place the same week in Newfoundland.
“It’s looking pretty good,” said Cross Country Yukon head coach Alain Masson. “It’s a young team. It’s not finalized because some of the older athletes who can qualify nationals will have to make the decision whether to go to the Arctic Games or the national championships, which are unfortunately the same week.
“They probably won’t decide until early February because they have the chance to qualify for nationals early February.”
Savannah Cash, Regan Fuerstner, Amanda Thomson, Hannah Jirousek, Natalie Hynes, Hannah Deuling, Hannah Shier, Alexis Gee, Cambria Fuerstner, Solstice Toews and Zoe Painter have been selected for the females after the classic mass start races on Dec. 21 and free races on Dec. 22.
Liam Mather, Nichollis Schmidt, Adam Hynes, Simon Cash, Michael Kishchuck, Leif Blake, Mac Prawdzik and Andrew Seal were selected for the males.
Dagmar Janzen, Mary Landero and Mira Mason were named alternates.
Of those selected, Natalie Hynes, Cambria Fuerstner, Simon Cash, Gee, Painter, Kishchuck and Seal competed at the 2012 Arctic Games in Whitehorse.
Coaches for the Arctic Games are Veronique Theriault, Nathalie Dugas and Perry Hynes. Masson will be with the Yukon team at the Haywood Nationals.
Skiers Etienne Richard and Annah Hanthorn were awarded the Sumanik Trophy for the fastest times over both days at the races.
Top-three results for Dec. 21
Midget boys (2.5km)
1st Judah Hanthorn
2nd Liam Mather
3rd Nichollis Schmidt
Midget girls (2.5km)
1st Amanda Thomson
2nd Savannah Cash
3rd Regan Fuerstner
Juvenile boys (7.5km)
1st Simon Cash
2nd Michael Kishchuk
3rd Leif Blake
Juvenile girls (5km)
1st Hannah Shier
2nd Hannah Deuling
3rd Natalie Hynes
Junior boys (7.5km)
1st Caelan McLean
2nd Marcus Deuling
3rd Hudson Lucier
Junior girls (5km)
1st Zoe Painter
2nd Ruth Hanthorn
3rd Cambria Fuerstner
Junior female (5km)
1st Annah Hanthorn
2nd Katie Peters
Open men (7.5km)
1st Etienne Richard
2nd Colin Abbott
3rd Nansen Murray
Open women (5km)
1st Sarah Murray
Top-three results for Dec. 22
Atom boys (1km)
1st Felix Masson
2nd Daniel Phillips-Freedman
Atom girls (1km)
1st Abigail Jirousek
2nd Sophia Giandrande
Peewee boys (2km)
1st Mettias Schmidt
2nd Curtis Cash
3rd Oscar Setterington
Peewee girls (2km)
1st Kate Mason
Midget boys (2.5km)
1st Nichollis Schmidt
2nd Sasha Masson
3rd Sam Mather
Midget girls (2.5km)
1st Regan Fuerstner
2nd Savannah Cash
3rd Hannah Jirousek
Juvenile boys (7.5km)
1st Simon Cash
2nd Michael Kishchuk
3rd Leif Blake
Juvenile girls (5km)
1st Natalie Hynes
2nd Hannah Deuling
3rd Mira Mason
Junior boys (7.5km)
1st Marcus Deuling
2nd Caelan McLean
3rd Hudson Lucier
Junior girls (5km)
1st Cambria Fuerstner
2nd Solstice Toews
3rd Zoe Painter
Junior female (5km)
1st Annah Hanthorn
2nd Adrienne Hynes
Open men (7.5km)
1st Etienne Richard
2nd Colin Abbott
3rd David Greer
Open women (5km)
1st Sarah Murray
Contact Tom Patrick at
vtomp@yukon-news.com