Anderson and Mallams place at nationals

After a season of exorbitantly intense level of training, Whitefish High School skiers Ian Mallams and Erik Anderson can feel some relief and satisfaction for their efforts after competing at the National Cross-Country Junior Olympic Championships in Houghton, Mich., this past week.

The week consisted of four separate races — a 1.3 km sprint classic race, a 15 km mass-start classic race, a 10 km skate race and team relay races consisting of a three-man team each skating 5 km.

Mallams and Anderson earlier qualified for the Inter-Mountain Division, a team of about 45 skiers from Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Idaho and North Dakota that competed against 11 other divisions. In all, about 400 cross-country skiers were at Houghton.

Results follow: 1.3 km sprint classic — Mallams, 23rd; Anderson, 32nd; 15 km classic mass-start — Mallams, 6th, awarded All American; Anderson, 7th, awarded All American; 10 km skate — Anderson, 15th, awarded All American; Mallams, 30th; 3-by-5 km skate relay — Pletcher/Fereday/Mallams, 5th; Sundali/Anderson/Neal, 8th.

Next year, the National Cross-Country Junior Olympic Championships will be held at Soldier Hollow, Utah, site of the 2002 Winter Olympics.