Craftsbury Common, VT – Cross country ski racing veteran Kris Freeman, of Andover, N.H., capped off the season with his 15th career U.S. title, winning the 50k mass start on Saturday in Craftsbury Common.

Freeman battled teammate Tad Elliott, of Durango, Colo., for the entire distance with a mind boggling 32 laps on the 1.5k Craftsbury Common course shortened by warm temperatures over past weeks and a lack of snow, winning by three seconds to successfully defend the long distance title he won a year ago in Sun Valley, Idaho. Tim Reynolds, a Craftsbury local, took bronze.

“Craftsbury did an outstanding job maintaining the snow. A week ago I was convinced the race would be cancelled,” Freeman said. “The laps went by quickly.  It was fast snow which made for a very quick 50k.”

Youth Olympic Games athlete Patrick Caldwell, of Stratton Mountain, Vt., won the junior category over APU Nordic’s Jack Novak, with Tyler Smith, of Park City, Utah, taking bronze.

Friday’s women’s 30k and Saturday’s men’s 50k championships closed out a week of Spring Series racing and the season for the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team.