TUNA’s Wasatch Citizen Series cross country races wrap up for the season

Cross country ski races near Park City's McPolin Barn with The Utah Nordic Alliance for the Wasatch Citizen Series. Photo: Park City Chamber/Bureau

UTAH — The annual Wasatch Citizen Series (WCS) community cross country competitions have wrapped for another successful season for The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA).

For decades, TUNA has organized these series and invited all comers. This season had five races which were well attended by Olympians to first-timers, by 8 year olds to 80 year olds.

Each winter, spanning venues in multiple counties surrounding Park City, mostly locals sign up, wax up, show up and ski. The races are always on Saturdays and always start at 10, so the majority of families are home by noon.

The online registration deadline is 5 p.m. on the Thursday prior, there people may pay the nominal fee for one race, the whole season series, or simply donate to the TUNA nonprofit. 

Para skiers in categories including visually impaired and sit skiing share the same courses as the able bodied cross country, nordic combined and biathlon athletes.

Dave Hanscom, who ran the entire series for decades, retired last year. That hasn’t, however, kept him from consulting and competing, (and not necessarily in that order). At Race #4, he told TownLift, “The weather sure can keep us on our toes at the WCS. Some Saturdays too much snow, and some the opposite. Never the less, it’s always fun to see the same faces return to race and return to volunteer year after year.”

Click on the race links below to see the full results lists of names and times and podiums of the multiple age/skill/distance events:

• Race #1, December 31, White Pine Nordic Center, 174 skiers, 5 k/10 k, Classic, Interval Start
• Race #2, January 14, Soldier Hollow, 258 skiers, 5 k/10 k, Skate/Free Mass Start
• Race #3, January 29, White Pine Farm, 206 skiers, 5 k/10 k Classic Interval Start
• Race #4, February 11, Mountain Dell, 179 skiers, 5 k/10 k, Skate/ Free Interval Start
• Race #5, March 18, White Pine Farm, 193 skiers, 5 k/10 k/20 k, Skate/Free Mass Start
• Season Series Point totals

Season Series Women who earned the most points in their categories via multiple week’s races:

Julie Davenport, Roxanne Toly, Brooke Lyman, Katherine Shields, Leslie Howitt, Domanique Maack, Abbie Spencer, Stacey Lowe, Jen Zurick, Caroline Sterrett, Laura Howat, Ann Page, Nancy Fichter, kendra Babitz, Kaya Patterson, Teagan Hoffman, Rhys Wiedenhamer, Skye Gillespie, Norea Gildersleeve, Loisa Williams

Season Series Men who earned the most points in their category via multiple week’s races :

Brandon Brewster, Derek Hoff, Wilson Battle, Andrew Flynn, Christopher Creveling, Matthew Stewart, Derek Hackmann, Jim Weigel, Randy Eggert, Jeff Minnema, Michael Welgarz, Norman Frye, Patrick English, Gary Fichter, Steve Swanson, John Fassio, Daniel Radu, Phillip Radu, Martin Radu, Ben Trachtenburg, Miles Teela, Kellen Rendle, Charlie Powers 

Additional category winners: Pearl Outlaw, Issabella Witte, Aaron Snyder, Jack VanBoerum, Nick Van Boerum, Louis Arevalo, Wally Lee, Brooke Nelson, Brent Alm