March 19, 2007 – Over 40 teams in the Challenge Boys and Girls category’s led the show at the first Team Sprint competitions in Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championship competition history. The inagural event that replaced the traditional Club Relays were staged in a magnificent setting behind the Armories on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City. The well orchestrated Organizing Committee led by Alain Vachon battled high winds and a previous day snowfall of over 30 cm to prepare the spectator friendly track. Many thanks go to Parc de Mont Ste-Anne for providing the machinery to facilitate development of the track and the City of Quebec for their cooperation.

The Industrielle-Alliance Sprints started with the CCUNC (Canadian College and University) Team Sprints. The Carleton University team of Ed McCarthy and Chris Mamen outsprinted the local favourites from Laval University by a comfortable margin. The CCUNC Women’s competition podium featured two Northern Ontario schools battling it out in the morning’s opening event. Eventually the Lakehead team of Mallory Deyne, fresh from her Canada Winter Games experience, and Rene Bode outsprinted the Laurention team of Mary Thompson and Julie Porter by 2 seconds for top spot.

In the Women’s Open Sprint, Thompson did double duty to join Hardwood Hills teammate Alana Thomas for a third place showing. The team of Shayla Swanson and Rhonda Sandau from the Foothills Nordic powerhouse picked up the gold while local skiers Christine Bisson and Alexia Pickard-Jolicoeur picked up silver.

The Open Men’s competition featured another large field. Two semi-final heats of 15 teams started the afternoon races after an opening ceremonies that featured a short presentation by Pierre Harvey, the event Honourary Chair. Once action got underway it was the team of Luke McGurk and Eric Carleton of the Rocky Mountain Racers that took away top Canadian Championship honours. The team of Mike Argue and Thomsen d’Hont from Yellowknife was second and Stephen Hart and Harry Seaton from Hardwood Hills picked up the bronze.

The men’s final also featured an international field with the teams from Middlebury College and the CXC Training Centre in Vermont emerging in the top two positions followed by the Canadians from the Rocky Mtn Racers.

The Challenge Boys presented the most exciting heat of the day. Throughout the 2 x 3 lap final, the duo of Graeme Killick and Jesse Cockney of Banff traded spots with Julien Nury and Alexandre Ruel of Skibec and Greg Finch and Matthew Wylie of Sovereign Lake. The BC team surprised the field coming from a third place finish in their heat to finish third overall in the final. A fall at the beginning of the sprint into the finish line finally determined the outcome with the team from the Banff Ski Runners coming out on top.

The Challenge Girls featured another team from Sovereign Lake as Alison Clarke and Allyson Cummings emerged with the gold. They were followed by Heidi Widmer and Marlis Kromm of Foothills Nordic and Michaela Howie and Hillary Schrama of Banff.

Competitions continue on Tuesday with the short distance free technique interval start events.