U.S. ski team member Betsy Youngman of Newbury, Ohio, took advantage of an icy spot with 150 yards to go Saturday to beat fellow Olympian Ingrid Butts of Park City, Utah, and win the 26-kilometer White Mountain Chase ski race.
Youngman was timed in one hour, 14 minutes, 10 seconds, with Butts runner-up in 1:14:14. Lynne Cecil of Plymouth, Minn., was third in 1:14:15 in the inaugural Great American Ski Chase long distance race of the winter.John Callahan of Park City came from behind to win the men's race by 32 seconds over defending champion John Aalberg of Salt Lake City. Callahan finished in 1:02.58, with Aalberg second in 1:03.30.
Youngman, the defending women's Ski Chase champion, and Butts skied together throughout the two-lap race.
Callahan gained from the wave start. He went out two minutes after Aalberg, a two-time Ski Chase king and NCAA champion in 1984 and '85 for the University of Utah, and knew what time he had to beat as he tracked Aalberg all the way.