March 28, 2018 (Craftsbury Common, VT) – Erik Bjornsen (APU) took home the Men’s 50km CL Mass Start victory in a close battle with Adam Martin (Craftsbury Green Project) in second at 1.5 seconds followed by Scott Patterson (APU) in third another another 22 seconds behind. Bjornsen reclaimed the title having won in 2016 while Patterson, the defending champ, settled for third.

David Norris  (APU) claimed 4th and Simi Hamilton (SMS T2), known for his sprinting prowess, had a strong day finishing 5th at the final race of the 2018 L.L. Bean U.S. Long Distance National Championships at Craftsbury Common in Vermont. Finishing 10th was Canada’s Scott Hill from Team Hardwood.

“It was a tough race out there today with some tactical moves along the way and trying to decide when to change skis. Scott [Patterson] and I made the switch at about the halfway mark – then we chased down Adam [Martin],” explained Bjornsen. “Then it was kind of the three of us to the finish.”

With three APU skiers in the top 10 we wondered about team tactics. “APU is my club team but all the guys out there are my teammates so it’s fun to race here at home with other Americans. It’s great to see everyone and see guys like Adam pushing hard,” he continued.

Bjornsen had a stellar World Cup season with a breakthrough career-best 9th place finish at Seefeld, Austria in the men’s 15km FR mass start and scored points in about 15 races. “I’m looking forward to breaking into the top 2o more often and of course more top 10’s as well… the podium is the real target,” added the winner.

“After a record year, @ebjornsen1991 finished out the season strong by winning the 50k classic national title at the U.S. Cross Country Champs. And channeling the teamwork that makes this team so special, he said he learned from his sister @sbjornsen’s second-place finish yesterday to take the win,” tweeted @TeamUSA.

Bjornsen plans to spend a few days down south by the beach with his fiance, but says he’s eager to get back on his skis and get ready for next year… his sister Sadie told us the same (interview here) and we look forward to marking their progress.

Men’s 50k Results here.