The Super Tour spring series cross country ski races continued in Fairbanks last (Weds) night with national championship skate technique sprints.
Logan Hanneman claimed the top spot in the men’s 1.6-kilometer skate technique sprint, winning a national championship on his hometown trails at Fairbanks Birch Hill Recreation Area. The 24-year-old Hanneman said he’s been focused on the skate sprint since the United States Ski Association announced a year ago that season ending championships would be held in Fairbanks.
“Dreaming and thinking about this one for a very long time,” Hanneman said. “And so to have it actually come true on the home course is just unbelievable.”
Hanneman ran strong through qualification, quarter, semi and final rounds, where he said he used local experience to ski the course to his advantage.
”Growing up all through high school and everything, I knew that… we always used to practice sprints down the stadium hill and across the flat part of the stadium, overspeeds,” Hanneman said. “And since the sprint course does that came course, I knew that’s something I’d be strong at. So then for the semifinal and the final, I was relaxed on the first hill and I knew I could make some passes across the flat to go into the last hill.”
That’s where Hanneman pulled away in the final, igniting the crowd as he skied powerfully to the front, and across the line to clear victory.
A multi time junior national champion, it was Hanneman’s first U.S. title as senior skier. He was followed across the line last night by Canada’s Evan Palmer Charrette in second, and two-time past national sprint champ Tyler Kornfield of Anchorage in 3rd. In the women’s 1 point 5 K sprint, Minnesota’s Jessie Diggins and Anchorage’s Kikkan Randall repeated the 1-2 finish the pair posted in Monday’s opening race at Birch Hill, but 3rd place in the Wednesday’s sprint was a surprise, with Montana’s Erika Flowers stepping up to grab her first ever National Championship medal.
”I made a couple medals at Nationals and always finished sixth so I was like, ‘Okay. Today I’m not gonna finish sixth.’ So that was my goal and I was like, ‘Why not today.’”
National championship races continue Friday night a Birch Hill with relays, and wrap up Sunday with marathons.
Dan Bross is a reporter at KUAC in Fairbanks.
