March 21, 2005

• Probably the
  
  Last Iditarod Update
  
  this Year

   Sixty-two mushers have made it into Nome.  Sixteen
  scratched along the trail.  One more man is out there.  The
  most likely contender for this year’s Red Lantern Award, rookie Phil
  Morgan of Anchorage in bib #9, is out of White Mountain with 8
  dogs,  Phil is 44 years old and works for Alaska Airlines as a
  captain on the 737-200 aircraft.  He was a volunteer pilot in the
  Iditarod Air Force, ferrying dropped dogs and whatever else needed an
  airlift, for ten years before attempting the mush to Nome.  Go
  Phil!

  Last night at the Musher’s Awards Banquet in Nome, these were the winners:

  • The Pen Air Spirit of Alaska Award, which was awarded to the first
  musher to reach McGrath, was presented to Norwegian Musher Robert
  
  Sorlie.

  • The GCI Dorothy G. Page Halfway Award was presented to Robert Sorlie
  for being the first musher to arrive in Iditarod. Sorlie was presented with
  $3,000 in gold.

  • Millennium Hotel Anchorage Alaskan First to the Yukon Award was
  presented to Paul Gebhardt. Gebhardt was the first to arrive in Anvik.
  He received a seven course meal in Anvik, and tonight he was presented
  with $3,500.

  • Wells Fargo Bank Alaska Gold Coast Award was presented to Robert
  
  Sorlie for being the first musher to reach the Coastal Town of
  Unalakleet. Sorlie was presented with $2,500 in gold, along with the
  Gold Coast Trophy.

  • Nome Kennel Club Fastest Time from Safety to Nome Award was
  presented to Ken Anderson. Anderson made the 22 mile trek in 2 hours
  and 22 minutes.

  • The Global Information Technologies Most Improved Musher Award was
  presented to Harmony Barron. She went from 68th position last year to
  29th position this year.

  • The Jerry and Clara Austin Rookie of the Year Award was presented to
  Bjornar Andersen. Andersen finished 4th in this year’s race.

  • The Fred Meyer Sportsmanship Award, which includes $1,000 in Fred
  Meyer Gift Cards, was presented to Martin Buser.

  • The Chevron/Texaco Most Inspirational Award was presented to Martin
  
  Buser. Buser received $1,000 in Chevron/Texaco Gas.

  • The Golden Clipboard Award was awarded to Shaktoolik Checkpoint for
  excellence in providing support to mushers.

  • The Golden Stethoscope Award for excellence in veterinary medical care
  on the Iditarod Trail was awarded to Ingrid Wilk Haugbjorg.

  • The Alaska Airlines Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award for excellence
  
  in canine care was presented to Aliy Zirkle.

  • The Lolly Medley Golden Harness Award presented to Whitestock. This
  
  six year old male leader belonged to Robert Sorlie’s team. Whitestock
  was given to Sorlie by a Norwegian musher named Bjornar Ostegaard.

  The finishing mushers shared in a record $750,000 in prize money.
  

  • 1:01 pm
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