Palmer women shatter record in 200-mile bike race

VALDEZ — Palmer women Julie Berberich and Kristin Wolf set one of five new records in this year’s Fireweed 400 bicycle races.

Berberich and Wolf paired up for the “Great Alaska Double Century” race July 11, riding 200 miles from Sheep Mountain Lodge, Mile 113.5 Glenn Highway to Valdez via the Richardson Highway in 8 hours, 57 minutes and 43 seconds. The previous record for the two-woman, 200-mile race, set by Gina Lepedas and Wendy Lindskoog in 2009, was 9:21:24.

Berberich said their strategy of switching off every 5 to 10 miles (rather than riding 100 consecutive miles each) is “pretty standard” for long-distance relay racers.

“You only (have to) do the race one time before you realize everyone else is switching out much quicker,” she said.

That’s why most of the rides she and Wolf did prior to the Fireweed were short time trials of 10 to 15 miles. Still, going into the race, they weren’t exactly expecting a finish nearly 25 minutes off the previous record.

“We didn’t know for sure that we were going to break the record but we certainly knew what the record was,” Wolf said.

Berberich said it wasn’t until they had come down through Thompson Pass, with about 30 miles to go, that she realized how well they were doing.

“The first goal is always just to finish, and then win, but the secret desire is to break the women’s record,” she said. “Breaking the record was pretty exciting, and then breaking it by a lot was really exciting.”

And having good weather was a big help for everyone. Chugiak cyclist Sheryl Loan surpassed the 2011 record in the 100-mile solo ride this year with a time of 4:38:02 (and beat all the men in that race by 51 seconds); Marcus Farris broke the 2008 record in the men’s 50-mile time trial; Janice Tower and Christina Grande set the two-woman, 400-mile race record; and Eric Flanders and Erik Ostberg now have the top time in the two-man, 200-mile race.

“We did get really lucky with the weather this year,” Berberich said. “There was some wind and some rain but usually wind is the (worst) thing.”

“It was really not very windy at all,” Wolf said.

On the cycling scene

Though Berberich maintains that Wolf is “much more serious about her training,” both women have been on the cycling scene for a while. In 2013, the two joined Dr. Jill Valerius and Janice Tower to form the four-woman team that owns the current record in the 400-mile race at 19:28:58. The year before that, Wolf grabbed the record in the women’s 400-mile solo ride, which she set at 25:11:51.

“I think Julie and I are a really good match,” Wolf said, in reference to their level of competitiveness. “We definitely wanna have fun, and we don’t take it too incredibly seriously.”

As co-owner of Backcountry Bike and Ski, Berberich has been involved in more event-style cycling as well. The popular Hatcher Pass Epic — a 90-mile mountain biking excursion featuring costumed riders of all speeds, shapes and sizes — for example, is at least as much about the after party as the cycling.

“I like ’em both, they both have a place,” Berberich said, of the Epic and the Fireweed. “When they’re both over, they’re both equally as fun.”

And even in the Fireweed, though the general level of competition is higher and the energy different, Wolf said, there’s still room for athletes of all skill levels.

“The nice thing about cycling, really, is anybody can do it, and the Fireweed is such a great event because of that. It has all these different categories so anybody can participate,” she said.

Perhaps that — the nature of the sport — is why Wolf, a counselor at Palmer Junior Middle School, is so enthusiastic about encouraging others to get out there and ride. Neither she nor Berberich grew up cycling, she said, but they’ve both come to see and feel it as good for the body and soul.

“Cycling has brought so much joy to our lives,” Wolf said. “To be an ambassador for cycling, I think, is kind of our goal.”

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.

Results

200 Mile Time Trial Female_

1) Alisabeth Thurston-Hicks, 10:44:55;

2) Corrine Leistikow, 11:58:08;

3) Cassidy Landes, 14:20:48;

200 Mile Time Trial Male_

1) Shannon Fore, 9:28:51;

2) Finn Yates, 10:07:22;

3) Riley Troyer, 10:23:53;

4) Mark Davis, 10:39:51;

5) Owen Ala, 10:52:59;

6) Robert Jones, 10:55:37;

7) Kevin Kelly, 10:58:45;

8) Terry Hennessey, 14:09:35;

9) Jim Kubitz, 14:17:32;

200 Mile Ride Female_

1) Jane Leblond, 11:50:26;

2) Renee Parsley, 13:37:11;

3) Caitlin Marine, 14:55:30;

4) Amy Dunville, 16:12:33;

200 Mile Ride Male_

1) Hamish Wolfe, 11:00:27;

1) Patrick Wolfe, 11:00:27;

3) Tom Spivey, 13:11:51;

4) Charlie Sassara, 13:11:54;

5) Nathan Younie, 13:44:42;

6) Michael Steele, 14:29:54;

7) Gil Carr, 14:55:31;

8) Michael Sicotte, 16:06:53;

9) William Wesley, 16:06:54;

200 Mile 2 Person Female_

1) Julie Berberich/ Kristin Wolf, 8:57:43;

2) Petra Davis/ Darcy Davis, 10:09:00;

3) Kacy Hillman/ Cindi Pannone, 12:31:46;

4) Lisa Gray/ Linda Ireland, 12:56:16;

5) Samantha Kiser/ Heather Stossmeister, 13:15:49;

200 Mile 2 Person Male_

1) Eric Flanders/ Erik Ostberg, 7:47:36;

2) Jacob Wahry/ Buzz Scher, 8:52:42;

3) Dave Whitfield/ Aaron Ramirez, 9:17:08;

4) Matt Reimer/ Kyle Hampton, 10:01:22;

5) Garth Schulz/ Logan Schulz, 10:11:48;

6) Matt Melarvie/ Jonny Hammond, 10:45:16;

7) Robert Mikol/ Brian Edmonds, 10:48:56;

200 Mile 2 Person Mixed_

1) Melinda Greig Walker/ Craig Walker, 9:42:11;

2) Wendy Lindskoog/ Dan Libbey, 10:01:21;

3) Kristina Eaton/ Robb Kulin, 10:17:30;

4) Catherine Steele/ Corky Still, 10:19:56;

5) Kimberly Bush/ Mike Vania, 10:20:18;

5) Lisa Marin/ Darin Marin, 10:20:18;

7) Dorothy O’Donnell/ Rhys Swingle, 10:47:09;

8) Janus Reyes/ Daniel Reyes, 10:54:50;

9) Deborah Greene/ Ben Greene, 11:14:42;

10) Morgan Warthin/ Dan Warthin, 11:37:53;

11) Hope McGratty/ Tyler Jones, 11:47:44;

12) Anna Marie Kupilik/ Brian Kupilik, 12:02:52;

13) Peggy Crowe/ Joshua Crowe, 12:18:05;

14) Amy Mestas/ Devin Mestas, 15:22:56;

200 Mile 4 Person Female_

1) Aislinn Ryan/ Christina Turman / Grace Lien / Michele Palmer, 9:59:07;

2) Julie Schwab/ Tamara Rose / Kate Wattum / Cathy Weeg, 10:05:17;

3) Chris Broda/ Nancy Hanneman/ Johanna Underwood/ Callie Underwood, 10:31:28;

4) Audrey Hanselman/ Marion Woods / Brenna Egeland / Hope Basinger, 10:33:56;

5) Stephanie Schmidt/ Abby Laing / Katie Reilly / Austin Quinn-Davidson, 11:18:23;

6) Christina Rahm/ Natalie Portner / Daphine Kopperud / Susan Martin, 11:38:44;

7) Nadia Dworian/ Deborah Mole / / Laurie Dworian, 12:04:43;

8) Jeanette Legenza/ Debbie Corral / Maggie Laufenberg / Elizabeth Lebo, 12:09:01;

9) Samantha Trainor/ Michelle Wilson / Bryn Haebe / Kristina Mattle, 12:11:57;

10) Lindsey Larson/ Katie Allen / Alexis McCarty / Holly Luiken, 12:21:10;

11) Karla Kolash/ Kathleen Gordon / Camille Rodriquez / Kathy Faryniarz, 12:50:42;

12) Leah Zumwalt/ Jodi Barnett / Abigail Newby-Kew / Diana Redwood, 13:13:21;

13) Gail Heineman/ Ann Binnian / Cindy Sykes / Helen Hamner, 13:16:18;

14) Alana Loken/ Amy Hollinhead / Hannah Hooper / Julianne Dickerson, 13:26:17;

15) Bonnie Wanat/ Patti Phillips / Gloria Menzel / , 13:29:49;

16) Emily Henderson/ Theresa Feighery / Sofia Lagos / , 13:32:36;

17) Tracy Ballard/ Julie Houle / Sharon Vaissiere / Tina Tomsen, 13:52:53;

18) Dena Doublex/ Peggy Sullivan / Kim Sonderland / Brenda Elmer, 14:07:33;

19) Bonnie Cudnohufsky/ Mayra (Cecilia) Sanchez / Colette Labonte / Carol Simmons, 14:16:43;

200 Mile 4 Person Male_

1) Tim Lamb/ Charlie Lamb / Alex Bryner / Matt Claman, 8:56:00;

2) Brian Shumaker/ Justin Neff / Joe Nangle / Brian Hickey, 9:14:52;

3) Brian Britt/ Ron Flick / Garrett Alderman / Jerry Alderman, 9:25:43;

4) Norm Sharp/ Bryan Epley / Jim Doepken / Peter Malecha, 9:31:20;

5) Chris Puchner/ Rick Solie / Jim Gillis / Karl Hanneman, 9:58:27;

6) Tom Heckathorn/ Eric Auten / Dan Heckathorn / , 10:20:51;

7) Mark Underwood/ Jack Hebert / Byron Broda / Jon Underwood, 10:23:00;

8) Tony Hardwick/ Joshua Estes / Mike Estes / Roger James, 10:24:27;

9) Johnse Ostman/ Chad Smith / Michael Simpson / Charles Couvillion, 10:57:18;

10) Jerry Alward/ Larry Levine / Howard Levine / , 11:05:32;

11) Daniel Blake/ Mike Frank / Julian Mason / Scott Hinckley, 11:31:37;

200 Mile 4 Person mixed_1) Peter Hurd/ Greg Lebo / Kristie Gummer / , 9:37:22;

2) Liz Butera/ Amy Johns / Jim Jager / Dave Blanchet, 9:43:09;

3) Hailey Summers/ Sarah Moore / Frederik Hveding / Chism Henry, 9:46:29;

4) Sarah Kuenzli/ Sumuel York / Bud Kuenzli / Bo York, 9:49:43;

5) Kelsey Coolidge/ Rebecca Haviland / Will Boardman / Brian Haviland, 9:59:32;

6) Ana Jager/ / Max Robicheaux / Conor Hickey, 10:07:41;

7) Karen Oakley/ Dima Robertson / Ken Robertson / Steve Klosiewski, 10:08:19;

8) Joanne Cummings/ Dave Roes / Carl Evans / Troy Baker, 10:12:15;

9) Hannah Steck/ Kenny Steck / Kyle Wilson / Dylan Robertson, 10:21:32;

10) Leslie Kroloff/ Jean Maloney / Mark Kroloff / Matt Tanaka, 10:33:24;

11) Michele Wagner/ Natalie Beyeler / John Willis / Mark London, 10:36:29;

12) Katherine Jernstrom/ Cherie Jernstrom / Gregory Jernstrom / Christopher Jernstrom, 10:42:36;

13) Julie Kane/ Justin Ramsey / Adam Reich / Shawn Kane, 10:43:39;

14) Libby Kugel/ Blair Hensen / Ted Grosgebauer / Andy Erickson, 10:57:22;

15) Rosalyn Singleton/ / Jay Butler / Jim Singleton, 10:57:56;

16) Tanya Pasternack/ Kaylin Emanuel / James Ferguson / , 11:19:55;

17) Edna Popedna/ Miriam McCulloch / Mark Dalton / Mike Pimomo, 11:37:18;

18) Joelle Hall/ Martha Robinson / Maureen Haggblom / Darrin Lawless, 11:42:48;

19) Daniel Frank/ Lana Davis / Lotes Barkley / Travis Woods, 12:11:04;

20) Samantha Baker/ Kati Ward / Laura Bartholomae / Caleb Teel, 12:11:53;

21) Kay Sind/ Valerie Massie / Kevin Laverdiere / , 12:36:00;

22) Avril Wiers/ Kay Gouwens / Lillian Maassen / Peter Maassen, 12:40:07;

23) Julie Estey/ Jillian Morrissey / Todd Estey / Tim Leach, 12:52:53;

24) Alyse Roberts/ Jake Maxwell / John Santos / Bruce Roberts, 12:54:25;

25) Carmen Springer/ Valerie Tillman / Haim Wenger / Nathan Zeigler, 13:23:20;

26) Marti Pausback/ / Paul Michaelson / Ben Michaelson, 13:27:36;

27) Kelli Hoglin/ Jessica Aho / Peder Reiland / Kerry Turnbow, 13:31:31;

28) Samantha Paskvan/ Danika Paskvan / Betsy Paskvan / Robert Mannherz, 14:05:03;

29) Alice Michaelson/ Helen Michaelson / Julie Michaelson / Hamish Burns, 14:59:03;