March 25, 2009 (Fairbanks, Alaska) – Morgan Smyth and James Southam won the opening Yukon Title Company 5km/10km Classic titles respectively at the Birch Hill Recreation Area on Tuesday evening at the Wedgewood Resort as the 2009 US Cross Country Ski Championships began in Fairbanks, Alaska. This was one of two make-up races from the short distance US XC Nationals held in Jan. 3-8 in Anchorage, Alaska that was plagued by frigid temperatures forcing the cancellation of two national events.

Kristina Strandberg from Sweden won the women’s race in 16:01 with Smyth from Northfield, MA in second and Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center’s Becca Rorabaugh in 3rd – as Strandberg is Swedish she’s not eligible for any national medals.

James Southam of APU took the win for his third national title but his first career classic medal. Canada’s Stefan Kuhn was second and Graham Nishikawa third but the silver medal went to USST skier Chris Cook in 4th with APU’s Brent Knight scoring the bronze.

Top Canadian skier Ivan Babikov was stranded in Seattle due to the Mount Redoubt volcano eruption according to a report in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner – full story on day one available here.

Complete results here.

Results (brief)

Women

1. Kristina Strandberg 16:01
2. Morgan Smyth 16:32
3. Becca Rorabaugh (APU) 16:37

Men

1. James Southam (APU) 28:56
2. Stefan Kuhn (Can) 29:04
3. Graham Nishikawa (Can) 29:08
4. Chris Cook (USST) 29:14
5. Brent Knight (APU) 29:22