Valley pair runner-up in Iron Dog

WASILLA — Mere minutes is all that stood between a Valley pair and a first Iron Dog title.

Wasilla’s Brad George and Big Lake’s Robby Schachle crossed the finish line at 12:04 p.m. Saturday, notching a runner-up finish in the 2018 Iron Dog. The Mat-Su duo needed 36 hours, 59 minutes, 2 seconds, to complete the 2,031-mile trek from Big Lake to Nome to Fairbanks. George and Schachle finished just four minutes behind the 2018 Iron Dog champs, Chris Olds of Eagle River and Mike Morgan of Nome. It marked the third Iron Dog win for Olds. Morgan earned a piece of the championship for the Morgan.

The second-place finish was a nice rebound for George, 24, and Schachle, 31, who were forced to scratch in Manley Hot Springs last year. The finish also marked the second top 3 finish for the pair in the last three years. George and Schachle finished third while racing for the first time together in 2016.

George added to his stellar Iron Dog resume with the second-place finish. After scratching as a rookie in 2012, George and placed in the top 4 in five times since 2013. George was part of three straight fourth-place finishes from 2013 to 2015. George and Anchorage’s Aaron Bartel finished fourth in 2013. George joined his dad, Iron Dog veteran Andy George, for consecutive fourth-place finishes in 2014 and 2015.

This year, George and Schachle were part of a Valley-heavy top 14. Eight of top 14 duos in the race featured a pair of Valley competitors. The fourth-place squad featured Palmer’s Tyler Aklestad who raced again with Tyson Johnson of Eagle River.

A pair from Wasilla, Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad, placed third in the race, finishing four minutes behind George and Schacle.

The top 3 teams arrived within an eight-minute span, and each notched an average speed of 55 mph during the race.

Minnick and Olstad needed just more than 37 hours to complete the race.

Willow’s Micah Huss and Wasilla’s Ryan Sottosanti placed sixth. Al Palma and Wayne Wold, both of Wasilla, finished seventh. Willow’s Shane Barber and Wasilla’s Todd Palin finished ninth.

The top 13 also featured a pair of all-rookie teams from the Valley. Rookies Andy Gocke of Willow and Zack Weisz of Wasilla placed 11th. Brothers Kenny Kleewein and Kruz Kleewein, of Willow, finished 13th in their first race.

Big Lake’s Pat Daniels and Wasilla’s Tim Schachle placed 14th.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

2018 Iron Dog

final results

Into Fairbanks Feb. 24:

1. Morgan/Olds 36 hours, 54 minutes, 49 seconds; 2. George/Schacle 36:59:02; 3. Minnick/Olstad 37:03:23; 4. Aklestad/Johnson 38:26:14; 5. Boylan/Leslie 39:12:31; 6. Huss/Sottosanti 39:49:17; 7. Palma/Wold 40:24:02; 8. Crouse/Strobel 40:31:32; 9. Barber/Palin 42:19:12; 10. Plumb/Starr 4219:13; 11. Gocke/Weisz 42:35:38; 12. Anselment/Nikolai 43:40:25; 13. Kleewein/Kleewein 44:29:21; 14. Daniels/Schachle 46:50:17; 15. Carlson/Masson 47:09:47; 16. Menne/Swenson 47:28:24; 17. Hausbeck/Levine 49:14:41; 18. VanWingerden/VanWingerden 50:24:54; 19. Adams/Brant 52:01:38; 20. James/Sindorf 52:06:16; 21. Evans/Germany 65:29:48.