January 8, 2010 News Release

Randall Sweeps National Championships;
Alaska Men Sweep Classic Sprints

ANCHORAGE – On the final day of the 2010 ConocoPhillips U.S. Cross Country Championships in Anchorage, Kikkan Randall skied to her fourth national title in as many races, her 14th overall. Erik Soederstroem of Sweden won the men’s race while the national championship went to Tyler Kornfield, the fastest U.S. finisher. Both Soederstroem and Kornfield ski for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
 
Randall, racing the women’s 1.4-K classic sprint race finished in 3 minutes and 26.2 seconds and was followed by Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center teammate Laura Valaas who had a time of 3:29.3. Ida Sargent of Barton, Vt., finished third with a time of 3:32.1.
 
All six racers competing in the men’s 1.5-K classic sprint final had Alaska connections and the top three finishers were separated by only four-tenths of a second. Skiing for UAF, Soederstroem beat his teammate Kornfield with a time of 3:15.8.  Kornfield finished in 3:16 with Mike Hinckley of the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center finishing close behind at 3:16.2.
 
Alaska women finishing in the top 6:

1st Kikkan Randall, 3:26.2
2nd Laura Valaas, 3:29.3
4th Holly Brooks, 3:34.9
6th Katie Ronsse, 3:54.7

Alaska men finishing in the top 6:

1st  Erik Soederstroem, 3:15.8
2nd Tyler Kornfield, 3:16
3rd Mike Hinckley, 3:16.2
4th Reese Hanneman, 3:17.7
5th Einar Often, 3:22.5
6th Eric Packer, 3:24

Full results from today’s races are available online at:
www.anchoragenordicski.com/nationals10/results.html