Kuskokwim 300: King crowned again

BETHEL — Jeff King continued his domination of the Kuskokwim 300, winning for the ninth time Sunday morning.

King, a four-time Iditarod champion, followed his team through the finish line in Bethel at 11 a.m. to win the crown and the $22,000 paycheck that comes along with first place.

King, who won three straight Kusko titles from 2001-03, last won in 2006.

Tony Browning completed the race that leads mushers from Bethel to Aniak and back just after noon on Sunday to finish second. Peter Kaiser hit the finish line at 12:31 p.m. to place third, and Paul Gebhardt (12:44 p.m.) and Big Lake’s Cym Smyth (12:52 p.m.) rounded out the top 5. Smyth edged fellow Big Lake musher Rohn Buser by two minutes.

A local sled dog race, the Northern Lights 300, is slated to start Friday at 10 a.m. at Deshka Landing.

Kuskokwim 300

Into finish Sunday — 1. J. King, 11 a.m.; 2. T. Browning, 12:05 p.m.; 3. P. Kaiser, 12:31 p.m.; 4. P. Gebhardt, 12:44 p.m.; 5. C. Smyth, 12:52 p.m.; 6. R. Buser, 12:54 p.m.; 7. J. Ulsom, 12:56 p.m.; 8. J. Cadzow, 1:57 p.m.; 9. R. Smyth, 2:06 p.m.; 10. M. Buser, 3:12; p.m.; 11. K. Keith, 3:32 p.m.; 12. J. Baker, 3:46 p.m.; 13. K. Anderson, 4:14 p.m.; 14. R. Redington, 5:45 p.m.; 15. M. Williams Jr 6:16 p.m.; 16. R. Diehl, 6:17 p.m.; 17. I. Underwood, 9:30 p.m.; 18. M. Williams Sr., 9:34 p.m.; 19. K. Berington, 10:04 p.m.

Into finish Monday — 20. L. Ambrose, 3:36 a.m.; 21. M. Telpin, 7:11 a.m.

50