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Neagos, Elliott win first races in Coke Series

Elliott wins men’s 10K by 1 second
Missy Neagos competes Sunday in the first race of the Coke Race Series at the Durango Nordic Center. Neagos went on to finish first the women's 10K race. (Courtesy Frank Mapel)

The Coke Race Series returned to the Durango Nordic Center on Sunday to kick off the 2022 series with some fast freestyle racing.

The first race of the series attracted 62 competitors to race in four distances: a 10K, 5K, 3K and 1.5K.

“You could really tell how excited the competitors were to be ski racing again,” said Evan Elliott, the Nordic center’s head coach. “It was great to get all the snow leading up to the race.”

The competitors also were greeted with a challenging course.

“The course was pretty tough,” Elliott said. “I worked with the course designer Brent Brown. We leaned towards designing a tougher course with more climbing in it. Also, the newer snow added another level of difficulty.”

Missy Neagos, who swept the series’ 15K races last year, managed to win the female division in the 10K handily by more than two minutes Sunday. She crossed first in 41 minutes, 10 seconds. Molly Hummel placed second in 43:24, and Michelle Wilson finished third in 45:12.

Tad Elliott chases Gordon Gianniny in the Coke Series race Sunday. Elliott would eventually pass Gianniny to win the race by one second. (Courtesy Frank Mapel)

In the male 10K, only one second separated the top two skiers. After two laps on the 5-kilometer course, however, Tad Elliott made a strong push to finish first in 34:32, just ahead of Gordon Gianniny. Wilson Wildflower wasn’t too far back, crossing third in 35:30.

“The men’s race was super close!” Evan Elliott said. “It came down to a sprint finish between the top two racers. Both are very experienced Nordic racers between collegiate racing and World Cup racing.”

In the 5K, Dewa Ilg (24:36) and Wade Mitchell (19:09) scored first-place finishes.

Ilah Mitchell (15:26) and Diego Leonard (13:05) won the 3K competitions.

Sage Wilson (6:43) and Dru Ehlers (8:28), meanwhile, finished first in the 1.5K races.

“The amount of support Durango Nordic receives from our volunteers is amazing,” Evan Elliott said. “Nordic skiing in this community is like a big family. We couldn’t host our races without our volunteers. A big thanks to them.” The coach also thanked Coca-Cola of Durango-Farmington for continuing to support the series and providing treats for Sunday’s racers.

Ben Mitchell races in the Coke Series on Sunday at the Durango Nordic Center. (Courtesy Frank Mapel)

There will be one more race in the Coke Series this year, March 5 at the Durango Nordic Center.

The first of four races in the Southwest Nordic Race Series, meanwhile, will take place Saturday in Pagosa Springs. The series also will include stops in Chama, New Mexico, (Jan. 15) and Telluride (Feb. 12) before wrapping up in Durango. The Durango Nordic Center’s toughest endeavor, the Pine Needle Langlauf freestyle event, will conclude the Southwest series with big climbs, scenic views and thrilling descents on Feb. 26.

Several other races are also scheduled for the Durango Nordic Center this winter.

The Nordic center’s 4 Corners Riversports Red Hot Relay fundraiser is scheduled for Jan. 29. “This is a fun team event that is a fundraiser for our youth programs,” Evan Elliott said.

The Alpine Bank Full Moon Howlers will take place Jan. 16 and Feb. 14, from 6-9 p.m.

The McDonald’s Winter Triathlon is scheduled for Feb. 5. This event is for individuals or teams to complete a winter triathlon consisting of a ski, fat bike and snowshoe leg.

More information on the events at DurangoNordic.org

Michelle Wilson competes in the first race of the Coke Series on Sunday at the Durango Nordic Center. (Courtesy Frank Mapel)
Coke Series Race 1 results

Female 10K

1. Missy Neagos 41:10

2. Molly Hummel 43:24

3. Michelle Wilson 45:12

4. Kristina Bodewes 47:13

5. Anne Gallager-West 50:17

6. Chelsea Farley 53:12

7. Cameron Wright 56:20

8. Heather Freeman 1:09:38

Male 10K

1. Tad Elliott 34:32

2. Gordon Gianniny 34:33

3. Wilson Wildflower 35:30

4. Mike West 37:45

5. Brad Neagos 37:50

6. Travis Brown 38:58

7. Brendan Trimboli 39:19

8. Buck Farley 39:31

9. Dakota Jones 41:47

10. Travis Gibson 41:58

11. Wiley Corra 42:45

12. Geoff Craig 42:53

13. Marshall Genn 42:55

14. Nick Preston 43:49

15. Sam Morrison 43:50

16. Zach Leonard 46:10

17. Ben Mitchell 46:31

18. Andy Farley 48:12

19 Sam Yount 48:49

20. Rene Garcia Reyes 49:13

21. Gary Gianniny 49:30

22. Juan Saenz 53:34

23. Justin Jones 55:49

24. Jeff Clausen 1:04:26

Female 5K

1. Dewa Ilg 24:36

2. Lilli Goltz 25:23

3. Zoe Freeman 27:44

4. Natanya Civjan 30:58

5. Ana Saenz 30:59

6. Diana Murray 33:49

7. Ellie Bruckbauer 34:50

8. Lindsay Gibson 37:45

Male 5K

1. Wade Mitchell 19:09

2. Andre Craig 24:32

3. Ben Andrea 27:44

4. Greg Bruckbauer 36:49

Female 3K

1. Ilah Mitchell 15:26

2. Mira Quayle 17:23

3. Tilia Clausen 17:34

4. Alaska Farley 19:24

5. Quinn Connors 19:50

6. Rebekah Quayle 21:06

7. Gwen Gallagher 22:02

Male 3K

1. Diego Leonard 13:05

2. Levi Gibson 13:08

3. Zach Gibson 13:18

4. Luke Gibson 13:44

5. Jack Purcell 14:57

6. Colby West 15:18

7. Oliver Saenz 15:48

8. Archer Nicovich 21:22

Female 1.5K

1. Sage Wilson 6:43

2. Mackenzie West 8:12

3. Rose Ehlers 11:11

Male 1.5K

1. Dru Ehlers 8:28

2. Bear Yount 13:34