January 29, 2010 (Craftsbury Common, Vermont) – Despite a “rain event” that pummeled New England earlier this week, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s volunteers laid out a tough course for the first race of the U.S. Masters Nationals. The 10km Freestyle was won by M1- Eli Enman (Sleepy Hollow/Huntington, VT) in a time of 27:56.0. Fellow Vermonter Reid Greenberg (Warren, VT) won the M2 division in 30:37.2, and the M3 division was won by Tim Donahue of the Manhattan (NY, yes, NY) in 29:26.0 (don’t knock Central Park for rollerskiing).

Always a top Masters racer in the US, Barry Makarewicz, of Salt Lake City, UT, traveled over to win the Men’s 45-49/M4 division. He snuck in ahead of Stowe, VTs, Tom Thurston. It was an all-New England cast in the M5s, with Rob Bradlee of Reading, MA, Rick Powell of Hanover, NH and Steve Flagg of Wolfeboro, NH on the podium. Hanover’s Chris Nice won the M6s, ahead of blueberry farmer, Charlie Gunn, of Henniker, NH. Murray “Mr. Positive” Banks led the M7s, and former Olympian Jonathon Chaffee of West Lebanon, NH had a clear lead to take the M8 title. Former Olympian and strawberry farmer (it’s the antioxidants), Bob Gray, of Newbury, VT, won the M9s. And proving that ‘langlaufer leben langer’, there were three men in the M10 division, with John Pope of Berkelely taking home the gold.

Nina Gavriljuk, of Guilford, NH, showed the women’s field (and most of the men’s) what a multiple World Cup, World Championship and Olympic medalist skis like. She won the women’s F4 division and the overall, in a time of 31:38.8. From Berkshire (MA) Nordic, Maggie Ryan won the F1 field, and Heidi Henkel of Putney, VT won the F2s.

From Bethlehem, NH (but with Middlebury College, VT ties), Elise Lawson easily won the F3 field, with a time of 36:21.6. Local girl, Joanne Hanowski, of Underhill, VT, won the F5 division, with a time of 35:35.5, and Carolyn Tiernan traveled out from Bishop, CA, to win the F6 division. Another Vermonter and multiple World Master medalist, Trina Hosmer, won the F7s, and Sally Howe, of Stowe, VT took the F8 division. Kudos goes to Sara Martin, who won the gold for the F10s, with a time of 2:04:46.

Complete results here.