Marcus Nash of Fryeburg, Maine, collected his first national cross-country ski title Friday and snapped John Bauer's string of six consecutive championships.
Nash, skiing at the start of the so-called Red Group, designating the best skiers in the field of 100-plus racers, set a pace no one could match. The 1994 Olympian, a former All-America for the University of Utah, finished the 15-kilometer freestyle race in 34 minutes, 7.9 seconds.Carl Swenson, a '94 Olympic teammate of Nash and ex-ski captain at Dartmouth College, was second in 34:48.1 and Scott Loomis of Park City took third in 34:57.8.
In the women's 10-kilometer race, Laura Wilson of Montpelier, Vt., picked up the third championship of her career in 28:54.6. Ingrid Butts of Park City, who retired from international racing after the 1994 Olympics, was second in 29:12.9.