March 20, 2004 – Canada's Beckie Scott was one of four athletes to win a second consecutive gold medal at the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships in Charlo, N.B. on Friday.

Scott, of Vermilion, Alta., won gold in the women's open category of the Madshus sprint competition. David Nighbor, of North Bay, Ont., captured the junior men's national crown for 18- and 19-year-old athletes, while Edmonton's Amanda Ammar claimed the title in the junior girls event (athletes 16 and 17), and Natasha Kullas, of Timmins, Ont., made her second trip to the gold-medal position on the podium in the juvenile girls category (athletes under 16). All four athletes also won gold in their respective age categories during Wednesday's two-day pursuit competitions.

Scott continued her head-to-head battle with Olympic teammate Sara Renner, of Canmore, Alta., in Friday's sprints. While Renner was the fastest skier to whip around the 0.9K track in the qualification round, the Olympic champion was able to overcome 27-year-old Renner's charge in the women's head-to-head final in order to claim her second title of the week. Renner settled for her second straight silver medal. Cheers by the hundreds of New Brunswick cross-country ski fans who lined the track were loudest for Milaine Theriault, of St. Quentin, N.B., as the three-time Olympian sprinted to a bronze medal performance.

While Beckie Scott and Sara Renner are dominating the field in the women's events, the competition is tight in the men's races. Devon Kershaw (21), of Sudbury, Ont. has been rising to the top of the field throughout the week. Kershaw, who competed in his first World Cup competitions in March, captured his third sprint title on the Madshus series while grabbing the national crown ahead of teammate, and gold medalist at the Under-23 World Championships this year, Drew Goldsack, of Red Deer, Alta., who finished second. Dan Roycroft, of Port Sydney, Ont., finished third.

“Competing at nationals is always a lot of fun and this is just a great way to end off the year,” said Kershaw, who led from start-to-finish in each of his heats. “It is very important for our senior team to compete at nationals and give back to the hundreds of volunteers and parents who are here that love the sport. It is awesome to have Beckie [Scott] here with us this week and so great to see the eyes bulge out on the young kids that are here competing because the event is so big for them.”

Madshus has committed more than $4,000 for the five sprint events throughout the season. The fastest male and female athletes received $100 cash at each event. An additional $1,600 was distributed to the top-five male and female athletes at the Madshus Sprint Final on Friday, while $1,200 more dollars was allocated to the top-three men and women of the annual series. Despite a fourth-place finish in New Brunswick, Quebec City's Christine Bisson won her second overall Madshus women's title in four years, while Devon Kershaw won the men's series.

Other sprint titleholders on Friday included: Perianne Jones, of Almonte, Ont., who won the junior women's division; Quebec's Nicholas Poirier, who claimed the junior boys event; and Haakon Lenes, of Banff, Alta., who crossed the line first in the juvenile boys race.

Complete Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championship Results: www.skinationals.com