U.S. Cross Country Nationals kicked off on Wednesday at Anchorage's Kincaid Park.
The races are the last chance for many skiers hoping to qualify for the Olympics next month in South Korea and it was a pair of siblings who took home the national titles on Wednesday, inching closer to their Olympic dreams.
Anchorage's Kincaid Park was packed with people, many with their hoods up and cow bells in hand to cheer on the racers. It was snowing hard on Wednesday and the ski trails were blanketed by the time the men's race got underway.
With nearly 200 men in the race, there was one local favorite who charged out of the start gate and up the first hill. Scott Patterson skied across the finish line after four laps on the race course, nearly a minute ahead of his competitors.
And he wasn't the only Patterson to earn a national title at Wednesday's races.
Although her race was a bit closer, Scott's sister Caitlin still had nearly 20 seconds on the second place finisher in the women's 10 kilometer skate race.
Patterson smiled as she stood atop the first place podium, with a wreath paced over her head and snow still falling.
Caitlin and Scott Patterson are graduates of Anchorage's South High School and are former members of Alaska Winter Stars ski program.
The first place finishes for the Patterson siblings put both in serious contention for spots on the Olympic cross-country ski team heading to Pyeongchang, South Korea in February.
U.S. Cross Country Nationals continue at Anchorage's Kincaid Park with skate sprints on Friday.