February 16, 2010 (Aspen, Colorado) – Brayton Osgood (XCOregon/Fischer), Kristina Trygstad-Saari (BSF), Nicole

DeYong (SVSEF), and Tad Elliott (CXC Team Vertical Limit) earned their first-ever wins this past weekend at the SuperTour and FIS Marathon Cup’s Owl Creek Chase, in Aspen, CO.

Saturday’s events were the women’s 5km and men’s 10km classic races. Two former Dartmouth College skiers, Osgood and Trygstad-Saari (Bozeman, MT) won their classic races respectively at the opening day of the Aspen Valley Ski Club SuperTour. It was the first SuperTour wins of the season for each of

them. In a relatively small women’s field, Trygstad-Saari had the speed to win by a 24-second margin over second place finisher Nicole DeYong. XC Oregon’s Evelyn Dong was third with a time of 17:21. But Osgood beat strong competition Colorado local and NCAA standout, Glenn Randall, and Steinbock Racing’s Chris Cook, who finished just 9 and 10 seconds behind him.

On Sunday was the popular 21K Owl Creek Chase. The course is point-to-point route beginning at the Snowmass Cross Country Center, then heads over two challenging multi-kilometer climbs, followed by a significant descent from Buttermilk Mountain to the trails at Aspen, and finishes at the Aspen Cross Country Center with a final 5-kilometer loop on the trails used for Saturday’s classic race. Elliott a

nd DeYong captured the 2010 Owl Creek Chase titles.

The men’s field included two past Owl Creek Chase champions (Noah Hoffman – 2008 and Josh Smullin – 2007), and former NCAA Champion, Glenn Randall. Elliott, twice the runner-up in 2008 and 2009 at the Owl Creek Chase, finally claimed the top spot on the podium with a twenty-five second victory in 57:40.5 over second place Randall (58:05.9).

On Sunday it was DeYong’s turn to win her first SuperTour title out-sprinting Saturday’s SuperTour winner, Trygstad-Saari, in the final kilometer to capture the title. DeYong, Trygstad-Saari and eventual third place finisher Evelyn Dong (XCOregon) skied together through the rolling opening kilometers of the race, but they were stronger on the uphills.

The SuperTour continues next weekend (February 20-21) in Madison, WI with a new criterium-style 7.5km and 10km freestyle race and the popular Capitol Square Classic Sprints.

Owl Creek Classic Results here

Women’s 5km CL (brief)
1. Kristina Trygstad-Saari (BSF), 16:05.1
2. Nicole DeYong (SVSEF), +0:24.7
3. Evelyn Dong (XCOregon), +1:15.9
4. Aliciarose Pastore (Durango Nordic) +1:24.6
5. Haley Piske (Steamboat SpringsWSC) +1:24.7

Men’s 10km CL (brief)
1. Brayton Osgood (XCOregon/Fischer), 28:24.8
2. Glenn Randall (Fischer), +0:09.0
3. Chris Cook (Steinbock Racing), +0:10.9
4. Noah Hoffman (AVST/USST), 0:26.3
5. Michael Sinnot(SVSEF), +0:42.9

21km Freestyle Owl Creek Chase Results here

Elite Women’s 21km (brief)
1. Nicole DeYong (SVSEF) 1:08.19.7
2. Kristina Trygstad-Saari (BSF) +0:05.9
3. Evelyn Dong (XCOregon) +3:18.6
4. Natalie Ward, +6:15.1
5. Amy Caldwell, +7:53.1

Elite Men’s 21km (brief)
1. Tad Elliott (CXC Team Vertical Limit) 57:40.5
2. Glenn Randall, +0:25.4
3. Noah Hoffman (AVSC/USST) +2:14.6
4. Michael Sinnott (SVSEF) +2:18.8
5. Josh Smullin (+2:59.8