Aspen’s John Gaston, Eva Hagen take honors at Heathen Challenge | AspenTimes.com

Aspen’s John Gaston, Eva Hagen take honors at Heathen Challenge

News | January 16, 2018

Staff report
Glenwood Springs Post Independent
Cripple Creek Backcountry team member Jamie Hozak, sporting the official "jeans-and-plaid" team race suit, begins the Heathen Challenge Saturday along with other competitors in the annual ski mountaineering event.
Sunlight Mountain Resort/Courtesy Photo

HEATHEN CHALLENGE RESULTS

COMPETITIVE TOP 10

Male

1. John Gaston – 1:45:00.6

2. Cam Smith (Men 18-20 age group winner) – 1:53:50.5

3. Rory Kelly – 1:54:59.2

4. Jon Brown – 1:56:07.3

5. Chris Carr – 1:56:34.6

6. Sean Van Horn – 1:57:59.7

7. Max Taam – 1:58:27.3

8. Brian Smith – 2:02:33.7

9. Matthias Messner – 2:02:36.3

10. David Glennon – 2:03:37.4

Women

1. Eva Hagen – 2:15:10.8

2. Nikki Larochelle – 2:26:16.4

3. Michela Adrian – 2:26:24

4. Patricia Franco – 2:26:56.9

5. Caroline Tory – 2:37:08.2

6. Kate Zander – 2:48:43.6

7. Sarah Tory – 2:52:41

8. Kristen Layne – 3:07:49

9. Katie Elliott – 3:11:59

10. Catherine Richmind (Vet women winner) – 3:23:19.8

OTHER GROUP WINNERS

Junior Men: Henry Boyd – 2:15:20.5

Vet men: Mike Hagen – 2:07:40.1

Rec women: Madeline McKeever – 1:54:48

Rec Cadet U17 men: Caden Klein – 1:29:27.4

Rec Cadet U17 women: Grace Staberg – 1:45:45

A total of 88 skiers took part in the 11th running of the Heathen Challenge backcountry ski mountaineering event, held at Sunlight Mountain Resort on Jan. 13.

Taking top honors among 68 racers in the competitive open division was John Gaston, 30, of Aspen. He completed the three-lap, 4,500-foot total vertical course in a time of 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Taking second was 22-year-old Cam Smith with a time of 1:53:50, and third was Rory Kelly in 1:54:59.

Top female was Eva Hagen, finishing 20th overall with a time of 2:15:10. Nikki Larochelle, 33, of Breckenridge was second (30th overall) in 2:26:16. Michela Adrian, 37, of Bozeman, Montana, was third among the women (32nd) in 2:26:24.

The top finisher among 20 skiers in the recreational division was Paul Mumford, 33, who finished the one-lap, 2,500-foot vertical course in 1:26:12.

The Heathen Challenge was organized by Cripple Creek Backcountry of Carbondale, and is part of the COSMIC Ski Mountaineering Series.

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