December 9, 2007 (Canmore, Alta.) – Edmonton’s Madeleine Williams, overall winner of last year’s Haywood NorAm Canada Cup, won the women’s 5km Classic on Sunday over Perianne Jones from Almonte, Ont. in second and Thunder Bay’s Tasha Betcherman in 3rd.

Ivan Babikov (Team X-C.com) continues to dominate the men’s series with another win today followed by Thunder Bay’s Dave Nighbor (National Ski Team) in second and Babikov’s team mate Chris Jeffries in 3rd. Here are some brief results…

Cross Country Canada Report
The cream of the crop stacked the top of the leaderboard in the men’s and women’s individual classic race at the Haywood NorAm series in Canmore, Alta., on Sunday afternoon.

Edmonton’s Madeleine Williams, who is a regular on the podium in the nation’s premier development race series, took home the gold medal in the women’s five-kilometre race after setting the time to beat at 14 minutes 59.3 seconds. Ivan Babikov captured his second gold medal of the week, and third of the season, after winning the men’s 10-kilometre event with a time of 26 minutes 14.9 seconds.

Ivan Babikov is racing on the Haywood NorAm series while continuing his efforts to gain Canadian citizenship.

Joining Williams on the women’s podium was Perianne Jones, of Almonte, Ont., who won the silver (15:25.2), while Tasha Betcherman, of Thunder Bay, Ont., was third (15:25.3).

Babikov was chased all afternoon under frigid conditions at the Canmore Nordic Centre by David Nighbor and Chris Jeffries. Nighbor, of North Bay, Ont., settled for the silver medal after stopping the clock at 26:50.7, while Jeffries still proved he can race with the best in the country after winning his third medal of the weekend, taking the bronze with a time of 26:51.9.

The Haywood NorAm series now continues its journey east across the country where athletes from across North America will compete in Val Cartier, Que., December 13-16, 2007.

Results (brief)

Women
1. Madeleine Williams (Fastrax) 14.59.3
2. Perianne Jones (National Ski Team) 25.9
3. Tasha Betcherman (Indi2010) 26
4. Dasha Gaiazova (National Ski Team) 36.9
5. Shayla Swanson (Team X-C.com) 43.4

Men
1. Ivan Babikov (Team X-C.com) 14.59.3
2. Dave Nighbor (National Ski Team) 35.8
3. Chris Jeffries (Team X-C.com) 37
4. Brent McMurtry (National Team Developement) 39.6
5. Brian McKeever (National Paranordic Team) 45.4

For complete results visit www.zone4.ca.