Ellie Claus in Lead as Teams Near Finish
11:00 AM, February 23, 2003

By Ultimate Iditarod's Jim Gallea

    On her 17th birthday, 2-time Junior Yukon Quest Champion Ellie Claus has built a 19-minute lead over rookie Nikolai Buser as teams are passing through the Tolsona Checkpoint just 27 miles from the finish at Wolverine Lodge.  Dallas Seavey made up 19 minutes on Buser on the leg into Tolsona Checkpoint, and is threatening to take over second place.  We received word from an airplane that Seavey has now closed within 600 yards of Buser.  Not far behind Buser and Seavey is Tessa King.  The race is going down to the wire!

    For those of us waiting at the finish line, all we can do is speculate and wait.  Will Ellie be able to keep her lead?  Will Dallas pass Buser, or will Nikolai put on a burst of speed at the end?  Will it be a photo finish?  Excitement is in the air, and the first team should be here in a half an hour.