Big Lake musher wins Kusko 300

BETHEL — One of the top young mushers bested a veteran leader of the sport at the finish of the Kuskokwim 300 in Bethel Sunday morning.

Rohn Buser, a 24-year-old Big Lake musher, edged four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King by seven minutes to win the 300-mile race. Buser, son of four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser, finished at 9:18 a.m. King, the defending Kusko 300 champion, finished at 9:25 a.m.

The victory marked Rohn Buser’s second Kuski 300 win in three years, and netted him $22,000 of the race purse.

The race also continues a great January for Buser, who won the Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Knik 200 race.

Another Big Lake musher, Cim Smyth, finished third in the race, hitting the finish line at 10:55 a.m. Sunday. Paul Gebhardt and Joar Ulsom rounded out the top 5. Big Lake’s Jake Berkowitz was sixth, also finishing before noon.

Martin Buser was 12th and one of 18 mushers to finish on Sunday. The final five teams in the race reached Bethel on Monday.

Kuskokwim 300

Final standings into Bethel

1. Rohn Buser, 9:18 a.m. Sunday; 2. Jeff King, 9:25 a.m.; 3. Cim Smyth, 10:55 a.m.; 4. Paul Gebhardt, 11:00 a.m.; 5. Joar Ulsom, 11:09 a.m.; 6. Jake Berkowitz, 11:18 a.m.; 7. Ken Anderson, 12:51 a.m.; 8. Pete Kaiser, 12:56 p.m.; 9. John Baker, 1:30 p.m.; 10. Tony Browning, 2:14 p.m.; 11. Mike Williams, Jr 2:58 p.m.; 12. Martin Buser, 3:04 p.m.; 13. Alex Buetow, 3:18 p.m.; 14. Katherine Keith, 3:27 p.m.; 15. Richie Diehl, 4:25 p.m.; 16. Ramey Smyth, 7:10 p.m.; 17. Kristy Berington, 8:00 p.m.; 18. Nathan Underwood, 11:59 p.m.; 19. Jessie Holmes, 12:20 a.m. Monday; 20. Steven Olive, 2:30 a.m.; 21. Warren Palfrey, 6:45 a.m.; 22. Mike Williams Sr 6:52 a.m.; 23. Pete Reuter, 11:13 a.m.