Owens takes Junior Iditarod Race

BOB MARTINSON/Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA — Melissa Owens, 15, of Nome crossed the finish line Sunday nearly 30 minutes ahead of second-place Rohn Buser in the 160-mile Junior Iditarod Sled Dog Race at Settlers Bay Golf Course in Wasilla.

Owens and her father, Mike, were extremely pleased with her performance, as she took home a $5,000 scholarship from the University of Alaska's College Savings Plan. Buser got the $2,500 prize.

The biggest race of the day, however, was for third and fourth place, between Dallas Seavey,17, and Micah Degerland,16. As the two came into sight far down the 18th fairway, Seavey was ahead of Degerland by just inches while maintaining his lead as he aproached the sounds of a cheering crowd of about 100 spectators. Seavey left his sled and ran beside it, climbing the hill to the finish line to take third as the crowd loudly cheered the race between the two.

Upon crossing the finish line, many of his dogs rested, ate snow and caught their breath, and Seavey, out of breath as well, had to answer questions from reporters immediately afterward. With his 18th birthday on March 4, he is the oldest racer to compete in the Junior Iditarod and will be the youngest musher to compete in the race to Nome next week.

The race for third and fourth place was the closest finish between sleds since the 2001 race, according to race officials. Degerland fell seven seconds behind on the approaching hill while struggling to keep up with Seavey down the stretch.

Mallory Smyth, 17, finished in fifth place followed by Katie Iten, 15. Nikolai Buser, 16, finished in seventh place.

"A couple of Nikolai's dogs didn't perform as they were expected to," Nikolai's father, Martin Buser said.