Skimeister titles go to West Valley’s Kramer, South’s McMullen

Masters of the ski trails for a second straight day, Kendall Kramer of West Valley and Zanden McMullen of South claimed Skimeister titles Friday at the state high school cross-country ski championships at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks.

It was the second straight Skimeister crown for Kramer, a junior who on Friday won the girls 7.5-kilometer freestyle race by nearly 50 seconds over runnerup Garvee Tobin of Service.

It was the first title for McMullen, a senior who topped the boys 10K freestyle race by nearly a minute over West’s Everett Cason.

Tobin and Cason both finished second in the Skimeister standings. The title of Skimeister is awarded to the boy and girl with the fastest combined times in the two individual races at the state championships.

The meet concludes Saturday with relay races at Birch Hill. Team titles are at stake, although the West girls appear to be in great position to win a fifth straight state championship.

The Eagles lead the West Valley girls by nearly four minutes heading into the race. Even with Kramer on their team, the Wolfpack will be hard-pressed to make up that much time in the 4x3K relay.

In the boys competition, West’s three-year reign as state champs could come to an end. Going into the 4x5K relay, West Valley leads second-place Service by 53 seconds and third-place West by 98 seconds.

ASAA/First National Bank state skiing championships

Friday’s individual results

Top 30

Girls 7.5K freestyle

1) KRAMER, Kendall, West Valley, 23:37.0; 2) TOBIN, Garvee, Service, 24:25.5; 3) ESKI, Ivy, West, 24:33.8; 4) LECLAIR, Aubrey, West, 24:55.9; 5) HANESTAD, Annika, Colony, 25:06.7; 6) DONLEY, Quincy, West, 25:17.6; 7) GONZALES, Annie, West, 25:30.3; 8) PROFFITT, Adrianna, Chugiak, 25:36.1; 9) JEROME, Emma, West Valley, 25:36.3; 10) HOUSER, Katey, Palmer, 25:41.5; 11) WALSH, Emily Eagle River, 26:06.4; 12) WITTER, Tatum, Service, 26:10.5; 13) FLORA, Marit, Service, 26:21.3; 14) BRUBAKER, Neena, Service, 26:29.7; 15) WILSON, Helen, Eagle River, 26:39.1; 16) DRUCKENMILLER, Maggie, West Valley, 26:39.3; 17) HAAS, Abigail, Lathrop, 26:44.2; 18) WHITAKER, Maggie, West Valley, 26:57.3; 19) MITCHELL, Ellie, West, 27:18.1; 20) PERSONIUS, Hjelle, West Valley, 27:23.3; 21) NELSON, Claire, Eagle River, 27:35.7; 22) SALZETTI, Maria, Kenai, 27:44.6; 23) YOUNG, Lucy, South, 27:52.4; 24) LATVA-KISKOLA, Tarja, Dimond, 27:55.5; 25) CVANCARA, Maria, Dimond, 27:58.3; 26) BERRIGAN, Aila, Palmer, 28:03.8; 27) EARL, Ava, South, 28:16.1; 28) DAIGLE, Autumn, Homer, 28:19.0; 29) CONIGLIO, Morgan, West, 28:20.4; 30) KILBY, Elizabeth, South, 28:24.2.

Boys 10K freestyle

1) MCMULLEN, Zanden, South, 25:56.1; 2) CASON, Everett, West, 26:53.2; 3) EARNHART, Michael, Chugiak, 26:53.7; 4) MEYERS, Kai, South, 26:55.8; 5) DIFOLCO, Eric, West Valley, 27:15.6; 6) MAURER, Alexander, Service, 27:33.4; 7) WALLING, Joseph, Palmer, 27:53.3; 8) CVANCARA, George, Dimond, 28:03.2; 9) LAKER-MORRIS, Jordan, West Valley, 28:04.9; 10) MARTIN, Kelly, West, 28:06.8; 11) BEIERGROHSLEIN, Max, Chugiak, 28:11.1; 12) BURRELL, Jonathan, Lathrop, 28:13.7; 13) DELEMARE, Sam, West Valley, 28:17.4; 14) CONNELLY, Michael, Chugiak, 28:21.2; 15) BAURICK, Josh, West Valley, 28:22.4; 16) DENNIS, Miles, Chugiak, 28:48.7; 17) MAVES, Aaron, West, 29:03.2; 18) POWER, Joel, Service, 29:11.0; 19) BAURICK, Dale, West Valley, 29:15.2; 20) ULBRICH, Hayden, Service, 29:18.8; 21) FRTIZEL, Luke, Grace Christian, 29:32.4; 22) TAYLOR, Kaj, Palmer, 29:33.4; 23) CLAPP, Sean, South, 29:36.0; 24) RENNER, Torsten, Chugiak, 29:41.9; 25) REIGER, Matthew, West, 29:51.1; 26) RENNER, Konrad, Chugiak, 29:57.3l; 27) RYGH, Martin, Dimond, 30:02.3; 28) WALTERS, Bradley, Soldotna, 30:09.8;29) ESPINOSA, Daryn, Lathrop, 30:13.4; 30) BIERMA, Joshua, Service, 30:17.1.