Gerry Willomitzer Takes The YQ 300

At 9:23PM PST [11:23PM CST] Gerry Willomitzer finished the “Loop” and returned to Pelly Crossing to take the win at the Yukon Quest 300. He was followed just under two hours later by Ed Hopkins with Martin Beck coming in at 5:10AM PST. Gerry spent a total of 2 days, 4 hours, and 12 minutes from his start time [02/05/11 5:12PM] to the finish.

Three teams have scratched : Tom Schonberger at Carmacks, Eric Pourteau at McCabe Creek, and, alas, Genesee Keevil, who left Carmacks and then returned. No word yet as to why, but it was probably unhappy puppies.

Kathleen Frederick is the only one of the remaining mushers who isn’t at or beyond Pelly Crossing, which is a bit worrying because a number of people left Carmacks after she did, and have arrived. It is possible that someone forgot to enter her arrival into the computer, which has happened before with people coming and going at all hours and times arriving on handwritten notes. [Update: She scratched at McCabe Creek.]

Finishers as of Midnight CST:

1 Gerry Willomitzer (57)
2 Ed Hopkins (54)
3 Mathias Beck (70)
4 Aliy Zirkle (64)
5 Susie Rogan (58)
6 Paige Drobny (72)
7 Misha Pedersen (73)
8 Nathan McNee (67)
9 Brian Wilmshurst (60)
10 Jessie Royer (74)
11 Rolf Meili (65)
12 Yuka Honda (56)
13 Oyvind Jakobsen (55)
14 Ryne Olson (62)
15 Fabian Schmitz (59)
16 Megan Routley (63)
17 Jonathan Lucas (71)
18 Maren Bradley (66)
19 Dyan Bergen (52)

Jessie Royer and Rolf Meili were both dinged with 2-hour penalties for failing to properly check out at Pelly Crossing.

Dyan Bergen is the only musher who hasn’t reached the finish line. She has stopped to give her dogs extra rest and is bound and determined to finish. [Update: Dyan made it in.]