February 04, 2012 (Cantley, Quebec) – Emily Nishikawa of Whitehorse and Banff Ski Runners’ Graeme Killick topped the fields in Cantley, Quebec on Day Two of the Haywood NorAm Eastern Canadian Championships and Minitour, winning the 10/15km interval start skate races. Sunny skies and -11 degree temperatures greeted over 625 skiers.

Yesterday’s sprint winner and NorAm series and Minitour leader, Alysson Marshall (Larch Hills), placed second at 8s behind Nishikawa while Amanda Ammar (Canmore Nordic) was a distant 3rd another 48s back. Nishikawa won this event last year and the confident U23 skier defended her title.

The men’s race was much closer with Foothill Nordic’s Kevin Sandau only 0.5s behind the winner, Killick. Five skiers were in a tight battle for third as Pate Neumann of Canmore Nordic prevailed to grab the final podium spot over 30s back edging out Erik Carleton (Rocky Mtn. Racers), the frontrunner for most of the race, who settled for fourth.

Leading the Junior Women was Black Jack’s Rebecca Reid followed by Camille Pepin (Mont. Ste Anne) in second at 3s and Pepin’s teammate Anne-Marie Comeau in 3rd. Raphael Couturier, 9th overall, took the junior boys title over Skinouk’s Alexis Turgeon in 2nd and Whitehorse’s Knute Johnsgaard in 3rd.

The Easterns and Minitour wrap up on Sunday with the classic pursuit races – the combined results from Friday’s Teck Sprints and today’s Individual Start freestyle races determine the start times. Marshall leads off for the Senior women with a 3s lead over Nishikawa while Killick has a 7-sec lead over Sandau.

Full results HERE.
Minitour standings HERE.

With files from CCC.