Eagle River High senior Jenny Klecka crests the peak of the overpass linking the two halves of Friday's 7.5K girls Cook Inlet Conference freestyle race at Kincaid Park. Klecka covered the course in 31:26.0, fourth best among the Wolves' seven varsity skiers. Photo by Dave Morse

Chugiak senior Alyson McPhetres experienced deja vu Saturday as she defended her Cook Inlet Conference skimeister title, posting the top cumulative time between Friday's 7.5-kilometer classical event and Saturday's 3.5-kilometer freestyle leg.

McPhetres' performance helped lift the Chugiak girls ski team to third in the championship meet, at Kincaid Park. The Mustang boys placed fourth. The Eagle River boys team placed sixth, and the girls, seventh, in the team freestyle relay on day two.

Chugiak head coach Jon Kehler said the team captured the one award he had wanted most, the Spirit Award, presented by Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage volunteers. That's two years now the team has been honored, he said.

The weekend's warm weather was of some concern, Kehler said, requiring extra ski preparation. The coaches applied warm-weather klister wax to 58 pairs of skis Saturday.

McPhetres had a particularly good day Saturday, with the day's best split of 10 minutes, 20.3 seconds, moving her fourth-best time of Friday to the top of the leader board for the individual Skimeister Award.

Junior Isaac Lammers had the Chugiak team's best performances for the boys on both days, placing 13th in the 10-kilometer classical, before popping a team best time of 12:42.2, the day's fourth best overall, on his 5-kilometer freestyle Saturday.

Kehler said his team likely will perform better at state.

"We are rested and ready to go," he said Sunday.

Eagle River coach Mike Evans said he was pleased with his team's showing, particularly their relay event.

"Brandon (Blackley) continues to be impressive for us on the boys side, as does Jackie (Klecka) on the girls," he said.

Evans said freshman Hannah Stevens has also had a wonderful season.

The state championships begin today in Fairbanks. Both coaches announced their state-bound teams: Chugiak – Alyson McPhetres, Kinsey Loan, Kryston McPhetres, Bonnie Scott, Kirsten Lessard and Amy Hartke; Isaac Lammers, Kenny Brewer, Peter Brewer, Alex Loan, Ben Fitzgerald and Dan Bradley; Eagle River – Brandon Blackley, Cam Johnson, Matt Johnson, Jacob Timmons, Tucker Platt and Evan Fisher; Jackie Klecka, Jenny Klecka, Hannah Stevens, Sarah Frankl, Hayley Patin and Brenna Wheeler.

Reach the reporter at editor@alaskastar.com.

Cook Inlet Conference championship

Feb. 20

Girls (4x3.5K freestyle)

Team – 1) Service, 42:59.4; 2) South, 43:30.9; 3) Chugiak, (Alyson McPhetres, 10:20.3; Bonnie Scott, 11:25.1; Kryston McPhetres 12:14.7; Kinsey Loan, 10:27.4.) 44:27.5; 4) Dimond, 46:26.6; 5) West, 47:05.8; 6) East, 47:27.8; 7) Eagle River, (Hannah Stevens, 13:07.9; Jenny Klecka, 12:28.5; Sarah Frankl, 12:58.3; Jackie Klecka, 11:57.7.) 50:32.4; 8) Bartlett, 55:53.3.

Boys (4x5K Freestyle)

Team – 1) South, 50:58.3; 2) Service, 51:22.9; 3) West, 53:34.7; 4) Chugiak, (Ben Fitzgerald, 13:30.7; Dan Bradley, 14:11.9; Peter Brewer, 13:46.8; Isaac Lammers, 12:42.2.) 54:11.6; 5) East, 56:30.3; 6) Eagle River, (Cam Johnson, 14:51.7; Matt Johnson, 14:35.6; Jacob Timmons, 14:59.1; Brandon Blackley, 14:04.1.) 58:30.5; 7) Dimond, 58:43.8; 8) Bartlett, 1:06:56.0.

Feb. 19

Classic, Interval Start

Girls

7.5K

Individuals (top 5, other CHS, ERHS only) 1) Jessica Yeaton, So, 23:06.8; 2) Karina Packer, So, 23:24.6; 3) Annie Liotta, W, 23:25.8; 4) Alyson McPhetres, C, 23:31.8; 5) Mackenzie Kanady, Se, 23:35.6; 6) Kinsey Loan, C, 23:41.1; 13) Kryston McPhetres, C, 24:50.6; 23) Bonnie Scott, C, 26:16.9; 29) Kristen Lessard, C, 28:00.6; 30) Amy Hartke, C, 28:04.0; 37) Anna Jennings, C, 28:58.5; 39) Jackie Klecka, ER, 29:17.0; 42) Hannah Stevens, ER, 29:57.5; 43) Sarah Frankl, ER, 30:31.4; 45) Jenny Klecka, ER, 31:26.0; 46) Hayley Patin, ER, 33:51.5; 48) Brenna Wheeler, ER, 34:28.0; 49) Christina Goodwin, ER, 34:37.1.

Boys

10K

Individuals (top 5, other CHS, ERHS only) – 1) Scott Patterson, So, 26.00.0; 2) Silas Talbot, Se, 26:47.3; 3) Peter Mamrol, Se, 27:10.5; 4) Neil Liotto, W, 28:00.9; 5) Carl Smith, So, 28:03.7; 13) Isaac Lammers, C, 29:35.1; 20) Dan Bradley, C, 31:05.5; 22) Ben Fitzgerald, C, 31:37.4; 25) Alex Loan, C, 32:13.8; 27) Brandon Blackley, ER, 33:02.5; 28) Peter Brewer, C, 33:33.7; 34) Matt Johnson, ER, 34:24.3; 40) Tucker Platt, ER, 36:03.7; 44) Jacob Timmons, ER, 36:48.8; 46) Evan Fisher, ER, 36:54.1; 51) Matt Waterman, ER, 40:33.6.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, February 25, 2010.