January 3, 2005 – Kris Freeman (USST/Andover, NH), U23 World
Champion, 2002 Olympian, and currently seeded in the World Cup Red Group,
found the snow, ski trails, and the competition he needed to prepare for
the World Cup races in Europe next month up in “the County” of Maine.
Freeman took the lead from the beginning in the TAMC Nordic Heritage men’s
10km classic race, winning with a time of 27:40.15. UNH’s Chris Mallory,
who had chased Freeman’s brother, U.S.Ski Team member Justin Freeman, just
the week before, finished second, three minutes back. Nova Scotia’s Ian
Murray was third.

Another former Olympian (’88, ’92, ’94) and New Hampshire native, Dorcas
Wonsavage (Ford Sayre/Etna, NH), won the overall women’s 10km classic race. Her time of 35:40.08 was two minutes 40 seconds ahead of Dartmouth’s Susan Dunklee. Craftsbury Nordic’s Hannah Dreissigacker (Morrisville, VT) was just six seconds behind Dunklee.

None of the visiting skiers or coaches had any idea, as they entered the
Nordic Heritage Stadium in Presque Isle, Maine, that it had been “poor
sledding” two days ago. Thanks to several potato truck-loads of snow dumped and groomed to perfection, today it was the best skiing in New England.

Stratton Mountain School captured one-two for the Junior2 girls and boys’
5km classic events. SMS boys Fritz Horst , 16;21.8, and Steven Bedard,
16:28.7, were 7 seconds apart, followed by Maine Winter Sports Center’s
Dimitri Luthi in third. Stratton’s Kyle Dewey missed the podium by 2/10ths
of a second.

SMS girls Parker Tyler, 18:54.43, and Madeleine Talkington, 19:08.81, were
just 14 seconds apart , with Natasha Landry (New Brunswick Provincial Team) in third.