ORLAND—Victor Skorapa, 21, of Freeport—a student at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine—bested a field of 17 runners to win the Wildlands Snowshoe Race on Sunday, Feb. 7. This winter’s run featured pleasant temperatures and softening snow—a big contrast to last season’s deep powder and bitter cold! Only about half the runners sported snowshoes; the rest wore trail shoes. Skorapa finished the rugged 4.9-mile slog (in snowshoes) from Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery up and over the flank of Great Pond Mountain and back in 41:35.
The Maine Maritime Academy Snowshoe Team sent four men plus coach Ryan King this year to earn the top three slots in the race. J. Chase Reidelbach, 22, of Virginia Beach came in second with a time of 42 minutes; and Kyle Huston, 23, of Washburn, ME earned third place, finishing the run in 46:44.
Top female finishers were Nicole Grohoski, 32, of Ellsworth, who took fourth place overall with a time of 46:56; Amy Dowley, 30, of Machias, sixth place overall with a time of 47:45; and Christina Dykeman, 27, of Trenton, 8th place overall with 50:29.
CLICK HERE for a full list of race results.
The snowshoe race was part of Winter Fun Day, sponsored by Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust. The day also featured a bonfire and hot dog roast and primitive skills demonstrations, and proceeds benefitted the land trust, which owns and manages the 4,500-acre Great Pond Mountain Wildlands in Orland.
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