March 8, 2003 (Duntroon, Ontario) – It was a long day of racing for the athletes competing in the sprint finals, as the third event at this year's National Cross Country Ski Nationals held in Duntroon, Ontario unfolded Saturday (March 8) evening.

In the Senior Women's category, Daria Gaiazova captured her second gold of the National Championships in the A-final. The Montreal-native beat out the morning's top qualifying Chandra Crawford of Canmore, Alberta. Crawford, who is one of the best young sprinters in the world, placed 23rd at this year's World Juniors in Solleftea, Sweden in early February. Third place went to Tara Whitten, of Edmonton Nordic, who took the Under-23 World Championships by storm last month when she placed an amazing 2nd in the sprint event.

In the Senior Men's event, Toronto's Gordon Jewett, recently returned from Val di Fiemme's Nordic Worlds, took the gold after qualifying second behind Team 2006 teammate Drew Goldsack in the preliminaries. Twenty-one year old Goldsack settled for silver, followed by Ian Murray, of North Highlands ski club, for the bronze.

Edmonton's Madeleine Williams dominated in the Junior Girls finals, after Orlean, Ontario's Colleen Mortimer, skiing for the Nakkertok ski club, brought in the fastest qualifying time in the morning. Third place went to Kim McMurtry of the Foothills ski club.

Sean Crooks, of Thunder Bay, took his second gold of the Championships after qualifying first and finishing first in the Junior Boy's event. Crooks had one of Canada's top results at a World Championships this year when he placed 11th in the sprint race The silver went to Connal Robertson-More of Banff Ski Runners. In third was Crooks' Junior National ski teammate Dave Nighbor, of North Bay. Nighbor, also one of Canada's top sprinters, finished 35th in the sprints at World Juniors.

In the Junior Girls category, Perianne Jones of Nakkertok ski club grabbed the gold just ahead of Edmonton's Amanda Ammar. It was Jones' second medal of the Championships and Ammar's second silver. In third came Mallory Deyne, of Porcupine Ski Runners.

The Juvenile Boy's group was won by Christian Ruel, of Skibec, who qualified second in the preliminary rounds. Silver went to John Rennie of Nakkertok, and bronze to Victor Wiltmann of Georgian Nordic.

Cathy Jaques, skiing for Canmore Nordic, captured her first gold of the series Saturday just ahead of Kate Brennan of Nakkerok. Brennan won the 5 km free event held March 4th. Alysia Garmulewicz, of Hills Nordic, took the bronze just in front of the pursuing Julie Auclair of Mont Ste-Anne.

The Canadian Senior National Cross Country Ski Team is supported in their international racing pursuits by Haywood Securities.

CCC is the national sport governing body for cross-country skiing in Canada, servicing over 45,000 members in 375 clubs. The corporate vision: “It takes a ski community to raise Olympic medallists”, embraces the Association's focus from entry level club development to the enhancement of the National Ski Team program.

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