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JIM SAMUELS WINS PACCSA'S
14th ANNUAL PA. NORDIC CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
He Reaches The First Place Podium
For The 10th Time
by Rick Garstka
As was the case with last year's PA.
Nordic Championship races, weather again proved to be a major player
in this years' races. The Friday before the races were scheduled,
temperatures at the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center were in the
mid 20's and the trails were in excellent condition. A perfect day for
a race, no doubt. However, the race day was to be two days later, and
a warm front quickly spread over the region, causing temperatures to
rise into the high 40's on Saturday, and rain to fall Saturday night.
Since the race had been advertised as ON, a cancellation was the
last thing on my mind at this time. Even a call from Bob Mazur (who
was to groom the trails early Sunday morning prior to the races) at
5:45 AM on Sunday, who said it was raining, very foggy with
above-freezing temperatures, and was standing in an inch or so of wet
slush facing a faulty snowmobile battery, did not seriously change my
mind although I must admit I was worried a little. (It
was really too late to cancel it now, as quite a few racers had
already departed for Laurel Ridge (including a large group of
children, coaches and parents from the Hilltoppers in Ohio, and a
group of skiers from Erie)). Bob then proceeded to somehow get
the snowmobile running and groom the race course, during which time he
called me back with better news most of the race course was safe and
still covered with snow, albeit soft. So the races were still on, even
though the races had to be shortened......talk about close calls!
The 48 skiers who registered for the
three races all recognized what Mother Nature had presented them with
(temperatures in the 40's and very soft snow on the trails), and they
responded with nary a complaint, upbeat spirits and outstanding
efforts. In the 5K classical race, 21 men and 4 women toed the
starting line, and Jim Samuels, 42, from Erie, PA was the first to
finish in a time of 20:08. Tucker Sawin, 24, from Arlington, VA was
second in 22:00, and Tomas Matousek, 56, from Murrysville, PA , third
in 22:17. In the women's division, Zuzana Matouskova, 51, from
Murrysville, PA, who just last year was diagnosed with breast cancer
and has undergone surgery and chemotherapy, overcame those obstacles
to win in a time of 27:01. Dagmar Merkova, 38, from Laurel, MD was
second in 27:51, and Naomi Nelson, 67, State College, PA, third in
32:00.
The 6K freestyle
race had 16 entrants (10 men and 6 women), and Emery Wager, 24, from
Seattle, WA was the first overall finisher in 24:24. Second place went
to Robert Kaschak, 51, South Park, PA, in 25:53, and third was Karl
Kensinger, 48, from Arlington, VA, in 26:40. In the women's division,
Devon O'Hern, 20, from Erie, PA crossed the finish line first in a
time of 29:45, followed by Kathy Schreckengost, 60, from Erie, PA in
31.23, and Dagmar Merkova in 32:17.
Eighteen skiers (15 men and 3 women)
registered for the PA. Nordic Championship race, shortened from 17K to
12K, and as he did in nine previous
PA. Nordic Championships, Jim Samuels took the first place
trophy in a time of 43:33. This makes him a ten-time PA Nordic
Champion, a truly outstanding feat. Sheldon Degenhardt, 43, from
Marriotsville, MD, who was last years'
PA Nordic Champion, could not
successfully defend his title, and placed second in a time of
44:05. Third was Mike Foley, 54, from Rocky River, OH in 44:34.
The woman's division was dominated by
three Erie, Pa skiers. Nancy Herbst, 49, was the first female to
finish and took the championship trophy in a time of 50:03. Second was
Kristen O'Hern, 20, in 53:13, and third was Melanie Reade, 24, in a
time of 55:11.
By far the most enthusiastic events
were the two children's races (~1.5K and 2.3K). Twenty-six young
skiers from the Ohio Hilltoppers, Erie Wildcats, and Laurel Ridge
Yellowjackets participated in the events, and, along with their
supportive parents and coaches, demonstrated what fun cross country
skiing can truly be. In the 2.3K race, 16 children were entered (10
girls and 6 boys), and both the boy's
and girl's groups had first place ties: Sameer Apte and Chad
Kozan finished in 10:52, while Olivia Cook and Jen Clark finished in
11:00. In the shorter 1.5K race, 4 girls and 6 boys skied, with Yamuna
Satsangi finishing first overall in 12:08. Second overall, but first
in the boys group was William Turner in 13:35.
Special thanks go out to Bob Mazur,
PACCSA's invaluable man behind the scenes, who set up the race course
and groomed the trails in the early morning hours prior to the races.
Also, thanks go out to Stokes and Nada Clarke (and others who I might
have missed recognizing), who were shoveling snow on the race course
on the Saturday before the races, the concessionaires at the Laurel
Ridge Ski Center, and all the volunteers who helped make the 2009
version of the PA Nordic Championship an extremely smoothly run event.
Winner 5K Classic
F-Zuzana
Matouskova
M- Jim
Samuels
Winner 6K Freestyle
F-Devon
O'Hern
M-Emery
Wager
Winner 12k Freestyle
F-Nancy
Herbst
M-Jim
Samuels
Children's 2.3k
F-Olivia Cook
M-Sameer Apte
Children's 1.5k
F-Yamuna Satsangi
M-William Turner
2009 Race Results
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