Copper Basin 300: Mushers arrive in Glennallen

JEREMIAH BARTZ/ Frontiersman sports editor

GLENNALLEN - Lance Mackey arrived in Glennallen late Monday morning to win the annual Copper Basin 300 sled dog race.

The Kasilof musher crossed the finish line at 11:24 a.m. to win the title. He finished the course in 49 hours and 18 minutes, recording the second fastest time in the history of the event. Mackey, who will claim $6,100 of the race's $22,000 purse, finished 1 hour and 36 minutes ahead of second-place Gerry Willomitzer, of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada.

There were 32 mushers in the field at the start of the mid-distance sled dog race on Saturday. As of late Monday afternoon eight mushers had scratched, eight had crossed the finish line and 17 teams were still on the trail.

Two Rivers musher Allen Moore, the defending champion of the race, arrived in Glennallen at 1:37 p.m., to finish third. That was the start of four mushers who all arrived within a 20-minute span.

Veteran Iditarod musher Sonny Lindner, also of Two Rivers, finished seven minutes later to place fourth. Thomas Lestatz, of Two Rivers, was two minutes behind Lindner. Hugh Neff, of Evanston, Ill., was sixth, and Michelle Phillips, of Taglish, Yukon, Canada, was seventh. Sebastian Schnuelle, of Whitehorse, was eighth.

The list of mushers who scratched include veterans Hans Gatt, of Atlin, British Columbia, Canada , and DeeDee Jonrowe, of Willow.

According to the race Web site, www.cb300.com, Jonrowe cited the youth of her dogs as a reason, while Gatt did not give a reason.

Jonrowe was the 2001 Copper Basin champion, while Gatt won the race in 2002.

The 300-mile race starts and ends in Glennallen.

Checkpoints on the trail include Paxson Lake, Sourdough Creek and Wolverine Lodge.