November 22, 2007 (Fairbanks, Alaska) – Birch Hill Recreation Area was the site and Julia Coulter was the star Nov. 17-18 in the first two domestic cross-country races of the season. She won a 5km freestyle race on the 17th and a 5km classic technique race the next day.

A blockbuster field of 400-plus skiers, with skiers down to kindergarten age, opened the season Saturday for the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks at the 12th Flint Hills Resources Town Race Series.

Coulter, wearing bib No. 1 in the mass start skate race, won with a time of 15:19.7, a half-minute up on Melissa Lewis. Ingrid Olson, assistant coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, completed the podium (16:04.0).

The top junior girl was 14-year-old Eliza Rorabaugh, who nipped Elizabeth Whisenant by 3.5 seconds, winning the 5km in 18:31.8.

Men’s Race
In the men’s 7.5km race, UAF All-America Marius Korthauer’s time of 20:37.2 put him 21.4 seconds ahead of teammate Vahur Teppan with Henri Soom third in 21:19.29. (All-America rankings are awarded to the top 10 skiers at the NCAA Championships and Korthauer was third in the 10km skate at the 2007 NCAAs. John Parry won the junior men’s class by 2.5 second in 21:27.2, just ahead of Ray Sabo.

Sunday, Coulter covered the 5km CL loop in 17:25.3. Olson was second in 17:48.2 and Anna Coulter took third place (18:43.6). Heather Edic, who was fourth overall, topped the junior women in 19:03.1 with Aurora Bowers just back in 19:06.4.

The men skied a 10km with Teppan winning in 29:00.6, nearly a minute ahead of Reese Hanneman. Third place went to Andreas Schnitzer (30:02.9).

Full race report is here and for results click here.

Visit the Nordic Ski Club here www.nscfairbanks.org