PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (March 26) - The 2007 U.S. Cross Country Championships conclude this week with distance title races including U.S. Ski Team racers just off the World Cup tour. Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) will be looking to earn his third and fourth championships of the winter.
The championships, which also double as the $130,000 USSA SuperTour
Finals, will have not only U.S. Ski Team racers but a large influx of
college
and citizen skiers for the three events. The schedule:
March 28 - Freestyle Sprints on the Caribou Ski Trails at Caribou H.S. (not a U.S. title race)
March 30 - Pursuits, men's 30K (15 CL+15 FR) and women's 20K (10 CL+10 FR) at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle
April 1 - Men's 50K FR and women's 30K FR at the Nordic Heritage Center
"The Nordic Heritage Center staged great championships last year under
tough conditions, and we're looking forward to another outstanding set
of
races," U.S. Nordic Director Luke Bodensteiner said. "They have a
challenging set of trails, which add to the excitement, and the
enthusiasm from the
community is terrific. Starting with the sprints Wednesday, these
should be a mix of fun and intensity, and a nice way for everyone to
end the racing
season."
A year ago, two-time Olympians Freeman and Wendy Wagner (Park City, UT)
won the long-distance titles. Wagner retired at the end of the season,
but
Freeman is still racing - and won two more gold medals, over short
distances - at the U.S. championships at Michigan Tech in Houghton in
January.
Freeman will be back to defend his 50K title as well as the pursuit
crown, which he won a year ago. Other U.S. Ski Team athletes, who have
competed
at the World Championships, the U-23 Championships and the Junior World
Championships include Olympians Lindsey Weier (Mahtomedi, MN) and
Lindsay
Williams (Hastings, MN) who recently won NCAA ski titles.