Midway, UT – APU Nordic’s Sadie Bjornsen, of Winthrop, Wash., won her second gold of the week while Bend, Ore.’s Dakota Blackhorse von Jess of Bend Endurance took a career-first title as the U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships came to a close on the 2002 Olympic trails at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, on Tuesday.

It was a third career gold and second straight for Bjornsen, who also won Sunday’s classic distance event. Sophie Caldwell, of Stratton Mountain, Vt., took silver with bronze going to the classic sprint winner, fellow Vermonter Jennie Bender of CXC.

“Everybody was exhausted today after four races. Today was really about who could dig the deepest and who could really go for it when they’re exhausted,” said a tired Bjornsen following Tuesday’s race, who will now return to the World Cup circuit. “I struggled a bit in the qualifiers this morning so it was a good test for me to come back and know that I could go for it. I ended up in the right place on the downhill and kicked it home.”

Blackhorse von Jess, who was third in the classic sprint, got his first career title over APU Nordic’s Erik Bjornsen, also of Winthrop, with bronze going to Alexander Howe of Craftsbury Green, Vt.

“I’ve got all the podium spots at a Championships but now I’ve got the top one! It is really cool,” said Blackhorse von Jess. “Everything is the same as it has been. But now I am just smarter and more confident.

“I knew that this course I suited towards a distance skier more. I knew that the pure distance guys were going to go for it and they did. I knew that if I went for it and stuck with them it would be OK. The observation was to be third over the final hill. Farther forward and they’ll come around you. Farther back and you’re not going to make it to the front. And that’s what I did and it worked!”