Two of the territory’s top cross-country skiers played starring roles in the first local race of the year Sunday.

Annah Hanthorn and Knute Johnsgaard were the first to finish their respective free technique races at the Whitehorse Cross Country Ski Club – the first of two events in the Don Sumanik Memorial series.

A classic race will take place this Saturday, temperature-permitting.

Hanthorn, the lone junior female competitor, sped around the 6.25-kilometre course in 19:33.1, while Johnsgaard led the open men’s category, completing 7.5 km in 20:12.6.

Sunday’s race featured the majority of the Yukon’s squad skiers, age six and up.

Other category winners included Marcus Deuling in junior boys (7.5 km in 21:12.7), Natalie Hynes in junior girls (6.25 km in 21:02.5), Hannah Deuling in juvenile girls (6.25 km in 21:32), and Michael Kischuk in juvenile boys (7.5 km in 24:53.5).

Younger athletes skated a 2.5-km course. Winners were Derek Deuling in peewee boys (9:23.4), Jake Draper in midget boys (9:05.1) and Sonjaa Schmidt in midget girls (10:38).

For the athletes age 14 and up, the race served as the first qualifying event for the Canada Winter Games.

Further qualifiers will be Saturday’s classic race as well as a NorAm race in Rossland, B.C., Dec. 13.

Skiers need to make a point standard to qualify for the U-23 team, which has only five spots available on each of the men’s and women’s teams.

Last weekend’s event was postponed a day after temperatures dipped below -20 C Saturday.

“We made a good choice in postponing the race from Saturday to Sunday, as the conditions on Sunday were glorious,” said chief of competition Jan Horton.

“Race volunteers were able to create a fine course for the racers despite a very thin layer of snow.”

Besides the two top stars, a variety of younger skiers impressed ski head coach Alain Masson.

“The points average of all the skiers was up from the last few years,” he said. “So that’s a sign that the team overall is getting better.”

The race series is named in honour of the late Don Sumanik, who helped build the ski club into what it is today.

Sumanik died in 1982 and was posthumously inducted into the Sport Yukon Hall of Fame.

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On Sunday, the ski club will host a free ski and snowshoe day, sponsored by Coast Mountain Sports.

The day will include free lessons, rentals and ski wax tutorials.

The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.