Anchorage musher wins Willow-Tug 300

MAT-SU — Robert Bundtzen won the Willow-Tug Bar 300 on Sunday.

Bundtzen crossed the finish line at the Tug Bar in Knik at 12:48 p.m. Sunday afternoon to win the 300-mile race, which featured three layovers at the Yentna Station Roadhouse.

Bundtzen, a 62-year-old musher from Anchorage, was running a team of dogs from the Jake Berkowitz kennel, according to a race official. Berkowitz recently finished first in the Copper basin 300.

Only eight minutes separated the top three mushers in the event. Runner-up Ray Redington hit the finish line at 12:51, three minutes after Bundtzen. Sven Haltmann completed his race at 12:56.

All three mushers finished the course in less than 51 hours. The top 10 of the field had hit the Tug Bar before 6 p.m. Sunday.

According to the race website, severe overflow and excessive snow forced organizers to alter the race route. Race officials were unable to get supplies to Tal Vista, and Yentna Station became the lone spot for layovers on the trail.

Teams started Friday morning at the Willow Community Center and headed for Yentna. The second leg of the race included a 68-mile loop through Skewentna and back to Yentna. Mushers completed the same loop before and third layover, and headed to the Tug Bar.

Willow-Tug 300

Top 10

Into Tug Bar (finish)

1. Robert Bundtzen, 12:48 p.m.; 2. Ray Redington, 12:51 p.m.; 3. Sven Haltmann, 12:56 p.m.; 4. Nicolas Petite, 1:44 p.m.; 5. Braxton Peterson, 3:10 p.m.; 6. Magnus Kaltenborn, 2:14 p.m.; 7. Matthew Failor, 5:23 p.m.; 8. Justin Savidis, 5:53 p.m.; 9. Anjanette Steer 5:55 p.m.; 10. Alexander Giudice-Beebe, 6:40 p.m.

Jonrowe wins

Tustumena 200

DeeDee Jonrowe won the Tustumena 200 on the Kenai Peninsula last week.

The Willow musher and Iditarod veteran completed the 200-mile course in 19 hours and 7 minutes, about eight minutes ahead of Big Lake’s Cim Smyth.

Tustumena 200

final results

1. DeeDee Jonrowe, (total time) 19 hours, 7 minutes; 2. Cim Smyth, 19:15; 3. Mike Santos, 20:31; 4. Colleen Robertia, 20:51; 5. Gary Van Leo, 21:09; 6. Zoya Denure, 21:17; 7. Kevin Neher, 24:38; 8. Travis Cooper, 26:26; 9. Kristy Berington, 26:42; 10. Andy Benkendorf, 27:21; 11. Matt Giblin, 26:53; 12. Anna Berington, 27:52; 13. Brennan Norden, 28:35.

Yukon Quest

under way

Twenty-five mushers have hit the trail for the annual Yukon Quest, which leads teams 1,000 miles from Whitehorse, Yukon, British Columbia, Canada, to Fairbanks.

The field includes Kelley Griffen and Wade Marrs of Wasilla, and Dallas Seavey of Willow.