ELY – Michael Bestgen “three-peated” as winner of the 2022 WolfTrack Classic eight-dog race, prevailing in the main event for the third year in a row.
The veteran musher and his team were the first ones out of the starting chute, by way of a random drawing of starting positions, on Sunday morning, and the fastest to finish the 50-mile course in 4:17:45.
Last year, Bestgen finished the race in 4:06:31, which was about 30 minutes faster than his own 2020 WolfTrack Classic record of 4:36:26. Prior to winning three WolfTrack races in a row, Bestgen missed a couple of years of the Ely event following a knee replacement. He came to Ely fresh off second-place runs in both the Beargrease 120 and the Minnetonka Klondike Dog Derby earlier this season.
“I want to thank everyone here again for the great race event,” Bestgen said. “The trail was really nice, except for a little bit of water on the lake. I have to thank my dog handler for doing a great job again this year, and also my wife, back home, for putting up with me.”
Tower musher Ashley Thaemert, competing in her third WolfTrack Classic, finished first in the six-dog 30-mile race with a time of 2:21:32.
Organizers said as many as 50 teams, the most ever, signed up for the two mid-distance races and 45 teams made it to Ely to compete.
The course was the same as past years and followed the Taconite Trail out of Ely, crossing Highway 1 and Highway 21 outbound and inbound. The eight-dog course went through Bear Head Lake State Park and crossed Bear Head State Park Road.
Thaemert previously ran both the eight-dog and six-dog WolfTracks. This year, she said she is having fun with puppies and the six-dog race was a great way to end the year.
“I want to thank all those who participated and those who put on a great race, my family, Ryan’s family and all of our sponsors. It was great to run with everybody and great to see all those familiar faces again,” she said.
Thaemert was impressed with her team’s performance, since four of her dogs were one-year-olds and this was their first season racing.
“They were a bit tired for the last five to ten miles,” she said. “There are tough hills once you get close to the finish line. It takes a lot of stamina for the dogs.”
This was Thaemert’s second first-place win of the year. She also took first in the Beargrease 40, and took fifth in the “very competitive” Klondike Derby in Minnetonka.
Eleven eight-dog teams competed on Sunday. Bestgen was followed by Buckey Tippet, who was second out of the starting chute, with a time of 4:32:08. Erin Leitzring was third with a time of 4:40:35. The rest of the eight-dog field finishers, from fourth to eleventh place, included: Nick Vigilante, Christina Gibson, Kevin Mathis, Eliza Vistica, Ero Wallin, Sam Louters, Rob Louters, and Jody Reineccius.
In the six-dog event, 34 teams competed. Thaemert was followed by Dusty Klaven, 2:30:35, in second place, and Ryan Miller in third with a time of 2:37:59. The top ten finishers included: Alex Laplante, 2:38:16, Clayton Schneider, 2:38:58, Neal Seeger, 2:41:42, Ann Stead, 2:42:24, Linus Meyer, 2:42:25, Derek Nechuta, 2:43:03, and Andre Duval, 2:43:26.
The Classic featured numerous junior mushers. Elena Freking, 11, guided her team of Siberian Huskies to a 20th-place finish, right behind mom and Ely veterinarian Jen Freking, who finished 19th. This was Elena’s second race, according to race organizer Ellen Cashman. “Elena just completed the Minnetonka Dog Derby with her dad, Blake Freking, and looked spectacular,” she said. “She won the sportsmanship award in that competition.”
“We would like to thank our major sponsors, Grand Ely Lodge, Bear Island Land Surveying, MIDCO, iFan and Nutri Source pet foods,” Cashman added. “Thank you to all the Ely businesses who sponsor the race. We could not do it without them.”
For complete race results and musher bios, visit www.wolftrackclassic.com.
The next WolfTrack Classic is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023.
Timberjay Tower/Soudan Editor Jodi Summit contributed to this report.