January 17, 2010 (Fairbanks, Alaska) – Tyson and Davya Flaharty made it two victories each in seven days with victories in the third of four races in the 14th Annual Flint Hills Resources Town Race Series, the Woolly Rhino Classic. The race was held under fairly cold temperatures which ranged from -11F to -7F during the race Saturday at Birch Hill. Despite the cold temperatures, not a single person died during the race, nor were there any cases of frostnip/frostbite.

For the Flaharties, it was a repeat of their wins in last Sunday’s Chest Medicine Fairbanks January Jaunt 20K. A total of 77 skiers raced: 48 high school and adult men 27 high school and adult women, and two junior high boys. Elementary races were not held due to the cold temperatures.

The high school and adult courses were shortened a bit from their announced distances due to the cold. The women’s course was reduced from 7.5K to 6.5K. The men also went 6.5K rather than the original 10K. The portion of the course on the White Bear was eliminated, as that is normally a bit colder than the stadium and Tower Loops. The race was held in interval start format, in classic technique.

The first four women finished within a 21-second range. Davya Flaharty (first in 20-29 women) won by 13 seconds over the ageless Karin Gillis (25:10 to 25:23), with West Valley’s Hannah Boyer six seconds behind Gillis (winner of 50-59 women), and Boyer’s teammate Marisa Rorabaugh fourth only two seconds behind Boyer.

Tyson Flaharty (20-29 class winner) dominated the men’s field, winning by 42 seconds over Lathrop HS’ Logan Hanneman (18:54.5 to 19:36.5). Logan was 1:50 ahead of the top master class skier, Dave Edic (first in 50-59 men), who was third overall in 21:26.8. 40-49 men’s class winner tied for 4th overall with 30-39 men’s class winner Dave Arvey in 21:36.7.

In high school team action, Hannah Boyer and Logan Hanneman were the individual winners, and West Valley won both team races. The point-by-place system was used because not all teams had the four skiers needed to score by combined time. In the girls race, West Valley scored 66 points, 37 ahead of second-place Lathrop, who were only three points ahead of North Pole. In the boys race West Valley topped Lathrop 62-50, with North Pole in third with 16 points. Chord Tozier (14:08) and Jesse Harris (18:16) placed 1-2 in the junior high boys 2.5Km.

The next major NSCF event is the final race in the Flint Hills Town Race Series, the Kendal Auto Group/SUBARU Skiathlon, scheduled for Saturday, January 30.

The final two races in the Besh Cup Junior Olympic and Arctic Winter Games qualifying series will both be held at Birch Hill in Fairbanks, on Saturday and Sunday, February 6 and 7. Saturday’s race will be an interval start, free technique event; Sunday’s race will be a mass start, classic technique event.