Sheldon Degenhardt Wins PACCSA'S 13th Pa. Nordic Championship
Warm Weather And Rain Threaten To Cancel The 2008 PACCSA Race
by Rick Garstka
                                       
After a postponement of PACCSA's PA. Nordic Championship races initially scheduled for February 3rd, the week preceeding the re-scheduled race date of February 17th proved very interesting. Just enough snow fell during the week at Laurel Ridge, providing sufficient trail coverage and allowing for good skiing.  Cold temperatures were to continue into early Friday, but slightly warmer temperatures and light rain were predicted starting Friday afternoon. However, Saturday was to get colder again, followed by a warm front and heavier rain beginning Sunday afternoon. As PACCSA race director Rick Garstka, trail coordinator Bob Mazur, PACCSA weatherman Charlie Becker, and Laurel Ridge concessionaire Bob Ruppel discussed the weather forecasts and trail conditions, the deadline for acquiring liability race insurance (Friday, February 15th at 10AM) was rapidly approaching. After examining all possibilities, the decision to hold the race was made late Thursday evening. The key was to be the colder below-freezing temperatures forecast for Saturday - Trail preparation for the races could then proceed without any appreciable deterioration of the snow. But Mother Nature threw a curve and brought above freezing temperatures on Saturday, so that, coupled with heavy trail usage by more than 250 skiers at the Ridge, the result was many bare spots beginning to show on the race course. In spite of the depressing forecast for the following day, a number of PACCSA volunteers gathered late Saturday afternoon to shovel snow on the course to ready it for Sunday's races. Sunday dawned overcast and warm, with temperatures above 32 degrees. The course was groomed and skiable, and more importantly, rain had not yet begun to fall. So 34 optimistic skiers plus 4 children watched the skies and the temperatures and registered for the races.
The PA Nordic Championship, shortened from 17 kilometers to approximately 13 kilometers because of unsafe trail con- dictions on sections of the race course, saw 17 racers (16 men and one woman) vying for the first place trophy. Sheldon Degenhardt, 43, of Marriotsville, MD, fresh off of a fifth place finish in the 27 kilometer freestyle VASA race the previous weekend, succeeded in winning the 13th annual PACCSA race in a time of 46:23. He comfortably finished over two minutes ahead of second place finisher Jason Zim- merman, 38, Latrobe, PA (48:44) and third place finisher Brian Wieczorek, 40, of Ligonier, PA (51:24). The woman's division was won by sole entrant Zuzana Matouskova, 50, of Murrysville, PA in a time of 1:09:56.
In the 5.5 kilometer classic race, Tomas Matousek, 56, of Murrysville, PA, bested a field of 20 registrants to capture the first place trophy. His time of 23:17 was 20 seconds faster than Jan Merka, 35, of Laurel, MD (23:37). Stan Tissue, 47, of Keedysville, MD, finished third in 24:39. In the woman's division, Ann Satsangi, 39, of Germantown, MD, was the first of three women in the race to cross the finish line. Her time was 28:57, over three minutes faster than Dagmar Merkova's (38, Laurel, MD) time of 32:02. Diane Rugh, 57, of Johnstown, PA, was third in 36:07.       
In the 6.5 kilometer race (shortened from 8.5k because of unsafe trail conditions), five skiers (3 men and 2 women) were entered. Bob Kaschak, 50, of South Park, PA, won in a time of 27:13, followed by Bill Beaver, 59, of Acme, PA (31:24) and Dave Jenkins, 56, Pittsburgh, PA (38:12). Alice Doolittle, 40, from Pittsburgh, PA, was third overall and first in the women's division in a time of 36:23. Naomi Jarvis,41, from Allison Park, PA finished in 43:06.
This years' race was especially trying because of insurance deadlines and the uncertain forecasts and ever-changing weather. Many thanks go to Laurel Ridge Ski Center personnel Andy Smith and Bob Ruppel, and all the volunteers (including Brian Joly, Diane Edwards, Stokes and Nada Clarke, Norb Duritsa, Charlie Becker, Naomi Jarvis, Bob Kaschak, Linda Bollenbacher, Dave Barndollar and Megan Mcgee) who helped prepared the trails for the race. Special thanks go to PACCSA's trail coordinator Bob Mazur, who after recently undergoing a fusion operation in his neck, tirelessly worked on and groomed the trails, allowing the races to be successfully completed.