Syracuse.com - Cazenovia teen, 17, wins national junior women 5K snowshoe racing championship

[HuntingNY-News]

It was only her second time racing in snowshoes, her father said

A 17-year-old Cazenovia teen won the junior women 5K championship at the 2104 U.S. National Snowshoe Championships held last weekend in Woodford, Vt.

Jeaneatte Cudney, a senior at Cazenovia High School, won the 5K junior event in 26:03. Second and third places were earned by Upstate residents Rachael Jones, of Fairport, and Chloe Mittilo of Paul Smiths, respectively.

The event was attended by many of the best snowshoe racers from the country, featuring 5 and 10K races for both men and women and in different age divisions. The races were held at the Prospect Mountain Nordic Ski Area. The event drew 385 participants representing 22 States and 9 countries from as far as Australia and Spain. It was the largest number ever to compete at the National Championship.

Cudney raced Saturday. It was her second snowshoe race ever, according to her father, Ray Cudney. She's a member of the Cazenovia High School cross country and track teams, and recently signed a letter of intent to run cross country, indoor and outdoor track at LeMoyne College.

Cudney, Jones, and Mittilio each earned a spot on the U.S. National Snowshoe Team, the father said. The team, made up of 16 members, are eligible to compete in the International Snowshoe Federation (ISSF) World Snowshoe Championship to be held in Europe in 2015.

Other local participants included:

Eric Sambolec, Ithaca, New York (17th Men's 10k)

Cole Crosby, Cortland, New York (18th Men's 10k)

Jeff Walker, Tully, NY (47th Men's 10k)

Alan Cushman, Cicero, NY (59th Men's 10k)

Tim Walczyk, Auburn, NY (134th Men's 10k)

James Miner, Dryden, NY (143th Men's 10k)

Rick Mazzeo, Skaneateles, NY (149th Men's 10k)

Michael Davis, Norwich, NY (158th Men's 10k)

Michael Capocefalo, Auburn, NY (198th Men's 10k)

Kermit Cadrette, Rome, NY (203rd Men's 10k)

Steve Mazza, Utica, NY (205th Men's 10k)

Karen Simmonds-Brad, Auburn, NY (7th Women's 10k)

Heidi Baumbach, Jamesville, NY (19th Women's 10k)

Dawn Leone, Mexico, NY (66th Women's 10k)

Mary Jo Kiggins, Auburn, NY (93rd Women's 10k)

Chary Griffin, Cazenovia, NY (104th Women's 10k)

Eric Hulbert, Mexico, NY (6th Junior 5k)

Benjamin Harper, Oswego, NY (13th Junior 5k)

For more on the national snowshoe championships and results, see the United States Snowshoe Association website at snowshoeracing.com.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog