February 23, 2009 (Fairbanks, Alaska) – The brother-sister combo of Marius and Aurelia Korthauer accomplished on Sunday what they had twice just missed accomplishing on February 7-8 at the Besh Cup races — twin victories — in the February Frolic, the third and final race in the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks’ Chest Medicine Fairbanks Distance Series, presented by Raven Cross Country.

The mass-start race was held in the skiathlon, or pursuit, format with skiers starting with 15Km of classic skiing, followed by 15Km of skating after changing equipment. Skiers who didn’t want to ski 30Km could ski just the 15Km classic. Bright sunshine was the hallmark of the day, and the sun’s effect on the snow actually caused some waxing problems for some of the classic skiers later in the classic leg. Temperatures started in the low double-digits and reached the high teens or low 20’s by the end of the race.

Marius Korthauer started with a strong pace that only a few could follow, even in the early kilometers. After the first 1.5Km, the pack was down to five with Alaska Nanooks John Parry and Ray Sabo (both only racing 15Km), FXC coach Pete Leonard, and FAST’s Werner Hoefler in tow. Coming off the Tower Loop, the pack was down to four, Leonard having dropped off the back.

At the end of the first 15Km lap it was Parry and Korthauer with a big gap back to Sabo. As they passed under the BHCCSC walkway Parry headed straight into the finish, while Korthauer hung a left into the transition area. After first heading down the wrong side of the transition area, Korthauer recovered and went the right way. As Korthauer was changing to skate gear, Ray Sabo finished the 15 in second place, and Werner Hoefler was on the east side of the stadium.

Korthauer skied the classic 15Km in 46:25, Hoefler in 46:33. Cody Priest (50:57), Pete Leonard (51:01), Dave Edic (52:04) and Will Coleman (52:07) were next into the transition zone.

On the skate leg, Korthauer more than doubled his margin over Hoefler, winning by 2:37 in 1:33:51. Leonard overtook Priest to nail down third in 1:42:47. Will Coleman also overtook Priest to place fourth, with Priest fifth. Dave Edic was 6th overall and first in the 50-59 men’s class.

In the women’s race, Aurelia Korthauer led from the get-go, and was never challenged by her distaff competitors, and was beaten by only six men. Korthauer’s 15Km classic time of 54:25 was a little more than 12 minutes faster than the second fastest classic skier among women, Heather Best (1:06:38). Jane LeBlond (1:07:05), Lisa Beattie (1:07:32) and Brandy Reeves (1:07:45) looked like a clear top five for the women — it was just a question of what would happen in the next 15Km, and what order they would finish.

Korthauer kept up nearly the same pace for her next 15Km, skiing only 33 seconds slower on her second lap (1:49:23). Leblond continued her “start slowly and gradually pick it up” strategy overtook Best to cop the runner-up spot in 2:13:24, with Beattie third (2:15:42) and Best dropping to fourth (2:18:19). Brandy Reeves’ top five position wasn’t as solid as it looked at the changeover, as she dropped to sixth. Christine Matson gained 4:30 on Reeves in the skate to beat her by 13 seconds.

After Parry and Sabo in the 15Km, it was former Nanook Stian Stensland in third, 6:30 behind Sabo. Karl Hanneman, Rick Johnson and Jim Mery finished 4-5-6 overall, and 1-2-3 in the 50-59 men’s class. Kristen Bartecchi won the women’s 15Km in 1:07:09 after skiing near LeBlond for much of the first lap. Nancy Hanneman and Nicole Stewart were second and third.

Overall Results

Women
1. Kristen Bartecchi 1:07:09.1
2. Nancy Hanneman 1:19:51.1
3. Nicole Stewart 1:20:13.4

Men
1. John Parry 0:46:33.8
2. Ray Sabo 0:47:04.5
3. Stian Stensland 0:53:32.0
4. Karl Hanneman 1:03:30.2
5. Rick Johnson 1:04:13.7
6. James Mery 1:05:52.7
7. Byron Broda 1:11:02.1
8. Bobby Signor 1:15:46.8
9. Thomas DeMattia 1:16:36.1
10. Carl Hemming 1:23:24.0
11. Cory Johnson 1:29:55.4
12. Connor Smith 1:37:40.5
13. Alex Teslow 1:37:50.1

Overall Results – 30km

Women
1. Aurelia Korthauer 1:49:23.9
2. Jane LeBlond 2:13:24.0
3. Lisa Beattie 2:15:42.4
4. Heather Best 2:18:19.9
5. Christine Matson 2:31:07.9
6. Brandy Reeves 2:31:20.7
7. Cathy Weeg 2:40:48.8
8. Corrine Leistikow 2:48:21.2
9. Barbara Creighton 2:53:30.0

Men
1. Marius Korthauer 1:33:51.3
2. Werner Hoefler 1:36:29.0
3. Peter Leonard 1:42:47.6
4. William Coleman 1:44:35.2
5. Cody Priest 1:46:10.1
6. David Edic 1:46:16.8
7. Roger Sayre 1:50:36.3
8. David Apperson 1:52:18.4
9. Bad Bob Baker 1:52:55.4
10. Max Kaufman 1:55:47.7
11. Klaus Wuttig 1:56:19.4
12. Gary Holton 2:04:33.3
13. Gary Knuepfer 2:09:24.2
14. Clint Ragan 2:10:24.2
15. Nick Ferree 2:13:06.0
16. Kent Karns 2:15:09.5
17. Joseph Rueter 2:16:29.2
18. Donovan Granger 2:16:46.9
19. Mark Ross 2:20:35.1
20. Bruce Jamieson 2:20:50.3
21. Patrick Druckenmiller 2:21:04.8
22. Ray Halderman 2:24:07.6
23. Jim Allen 2:25:23.2
24. Chris Puchner 2:27:32.1
25. Mike Schmoker 2:29:38.3
26. Owen Q Hanley 2:29:47.1
27. Fred Raymond 2:33:39.0
28. Michael West 2:34:42.0
29. David West 2:34:42.3
30. Jerome Jackson 2:35:14.5
31. Frank Soos 2:38:09.1
32. Mike Ruckhaus 2:39:52.7
33. Patrick Reinhard 2:40:57.5
34. Terry Schmidt 2:42:00.5
35. Eric Troyer 2:48:21.5
36. Don Lokken 2:55:36.6
37. Don Pendergrast 2:58:30.0
38. Bernardo Hernandez 3:14:52.1

Class Results 30Km

Women 20 to 29 Years Old
1. Aurelia Korthauer, 1:49:23.9
2. Brandy Reeves, 2:31:20.7

Women 30 to 39 Years Old
1. Jane LeBlond, 2:13:24.0
2. Lisa Beattie, 2:15:42.4
3. Heather Best, 2:18:19.9

Women 40 to 49 Years Old
1. Christine Matson, 2:31:07.9
2. Cathy Weeg, 2:40:48.8
3. Corrine Leistikow, 2:48:21.2
4. Barbara Creighton, 2:53:30.0

Junior Men
1. Werner Hoefler, 1:36:29.0

Men 20 to 29 Years Old
1. Marius Korthauer, 1:33:51.3
2. Peter Leonard, 1:42:47.6
3. William Coleman, 1:44:35.2
4. Cody Priest, 1:46:10.1
5. David Apperson, 1:52:18.4
6. Nick Ferree, 2:13:06.0

Men 30 to 39 Years Old
1. Max Kaufman, 1:55:47.7
2. Clint Ragan, 2:10:24.2
3. Michael West, 2:34:42.0
4. David West, 2:34:42.3

Men 40 to 49 Years Old
1. Klaus Wuttig, 1:56:19.4
2. Gary Holton, 2:04:33.3
3. Joseph Rueter, 2:16:29.2
4. Patrick Druckenmiller, 2:21:04.8

Men 50 to 59 Years Old
1. David Edic, 1:46:16.8
2. Roger Sayre, 1:50:36.3
3. Bad Bob Baker, 1:52:55.4
4. Gary Knuepfer, 2:09:24.2
5. Kent Karns, 2:15:09.5
6. Donovan Granger, 2:16:46.9
7. Mark Ross, 2:20:35.1
8. Bruce Jamieson, 2:20:50.3
9. Jim Allen, 2:25:23.2
10. Chris Puchner, 2:27:32.1
11. Mike Schmoker, 2:29:38.3
12. Jerome Jackson, 2:35:14.5
13. Frank Soos, 2:38:09.1
14. Mike Ruckhaus, 2:39:52.7
15. Patrick Reinhard, 2:40:57.5
16. Terry Schmidt, 2:42:00.5
17. Bernardo Hernandez, 3:14:52.1

Men 60 to 69 Years Old
1. Ray Halderman, 2:24:07.6
2. Owen Q Hanley, 2:29:47.1
3. Fred Raymond, 2:33:39.0
4. Don Pendergrast, 2:58:30.0

Men 70 and Older
1. Don Lokken, 2:55:36.6


15Km — Women 30 to 39 Years Old
1. Kristen Bartecchi, 1:07:09.1
2. Nicole Stewart, 1:20:13.4

15Km — Women 50 to 59 Years Old
1. Nancy Hanneman, 1:19:51.1

15Km — Junior Men
1. Bobby Signor, 1:15:46.8
2. Cory Johnson, 1:29:55.4
3. Connor Smith, 1:37:40.5
4. Alex Teslow, 1:37:50.1

15Km — Men 20 to 29 Years Old
1. John Parry, 46:33.8
2. Ray Sabo, 47:04.5

15Km — Men 30 to 39 Years Old
1. Stian Stensland, 53:32.0

15Km — Men 40 to 49 Years Old
5. Eric Troyer, 2:48:21.5

15Km — Men 40 to 49 Years Old
1. Thomas DeMattia, 1:16:36.1

15Km — Men 50 to 59 Years Old
1. Karl Hanneman, 1:03:30.2
2. Rick Johnson, 1:04:13.7
3. James Mery, 1:05:52.7
4. Byron Broda, 1:11:02.1
5. Carl Hemming, 1:23:24.0