2010 JUNIOR MUSHERS

1. Laura Noble
Laura Noble is a sixth grader at Pinedale Middle School. Laura says that she is a ranch kid. Her family raises cattle, horses, and border collies. She says that she loves riding horses and training them. She also helps her dad train dogs. She loves to ski, play the trumpet, draw, and read. In the summer she enjoys swimming, hiking, and writing. In the winter she enjoys ice skating and playing with her animals. Because she loves dogs and is interested in learning more about mushing she decided to be a Junior Musher. Now she says she can scratch it off her bucket list!

2. Talon Falen
Talon Falen is an eighth grader at Pinedale Middle School. He says that he loves the outdoors. Through watching the Iditarod on television he decided he wanted to be a musher. He says that being a Junior Musher in the International Pedigree Stage Stop Sled Dog Race is a once in a lifetime adventure. He appreciates that both the Iditarod and the IPSSSDR races help to immunize children. For his community project he decided to work with Downs and Autistic children because of a friend he made last year who has special needs.

3. Alexis Metz
Alexis Metz is sixth grader at Pinedale Middle School. She decided to be a Junior Musher after reading the book Stone Fox and talking to one of last year’s Junior Musher's, Olivia Pape who encouraged her. She is not only an Honor Roll student; she is a Superintendent’s Honor Roll student, which is only available to students with the best grades. She says that she wanted to an outdoor activity so people will not always think that she only has school on her mind. She is very excited to be a part of the Junior Musher race.

4. Claire Stough
Claire Stough is a fifth grader at Pinedale Middle School. Claire says that she loves dogs. She has a yellow lab named Annie Oakley. She plays the flute and violin and her favorite subject in school is math. She chose to take part in the Junior Musher race because of the community service involved. She also thinks it will be fun to meet all of the dogs. Claire stated that things she could learn through this experience are mind-boggling! She is very excited to be a part of the Junior Musher race.

5. Kenadee Eyre
Kenadee Eyre is a sixth grader at Lyman Intermediate School. She wanted to experience being a Junior Musher so she could ride on a sled and feel the wind whip across her face like when she is sledding at home. She also thought the experience will be something she will always remember. She said that dogs are one of her favorite animals and she looks forward to meeting and working with the sled dogs. She is excited to meet all of the musher's and work with her mentor musher.

6. Preston Quinney
Preston Quinney is a fifth grader at Lyman Intermediate School. His sister was a Junior Musher last year and he wanted the opportunity this year. He and his sister helped organize a group called Crafting for Kidz. They spend their time making and selling craft projects to raise money for various causes. He sold items at the Lyman Craft Fair in December and he and the group have raised over $750 for Primary Children’s Hospital. They are planning other events along with their crafts such as a dodge ball tournament to help raise more money.

7. Ty Andersen
Ty Andersen is a seventh grader at Mountain View Middle School. Ty is an outdoors person who enjoys snow shoeing, cross country skiing, snow boarding, down hill skiing and sledding. He has a knack for getting along with animals including his six horses, two dogs, a goat, and a heifer. He is very active in sports playing football, basketball, wrestling, and track. For his service project he wrapped gifts at Christmastime as part of the 4-H and gathered and delivered clothes and various items for the Road Home Shelter in Salt Lake City.

8. Megan Spray
Megan Spray is a sixth grader at Lyman Intermediate School. She wanted to be a Junior Musher because her family has hosted a musher for a few years. She also wanted to be a Junior Musher because her sisters have been one and she wanted to have the same experience. She says that over the years she has been able to meet several of the musher's and said they are very nice. She is looking forward to the experience of being a Junior Musher because of this. Now she will have the same memories that her sisters have through her experience.

9. Zachary Davis
Zachary Davis is a fifth grader at Province Hall School. He is from Herriman, Utah and is participating as an honorary Park City Junior Musher. Zachary says that he loves to hunt, trap, and fish. He said that he attended the Stage Stop in Park City last year. He met all of the musher's and at Christmas asked for all musher “stuff”. He says that he truly loves dog sledding and that being a Junior Musher is a dream come true. His community project included working at a local facility that helps the less fortunate.

10. Janice Hall
Janice Hall is a fourth grader at Osmond Elementary School. She wanted to be a Junior Musher after seeing the race come through Star Valley. She says that she really likes animals, especially dogs and horses. She was diagnosed with diabetes last year and wanted to participate in the Junior Musher race to show others that even with a life-changing disease almost anything can be done. She loves school and reading. She says reading is like pausing a movie. She also likes to try new and adventurous things. She says being a Junior Musher means the world to her.

11. Isabella Currie
Isabella Currie is a fifth grader at Etna Elementary. She says that being a Junior Musher will teach her what mushing is really all about. She thinks that this will be a great opportunity. She also says that she loves dogs. She says that she has always wanted to work with them and is considering becoming a musher. She also wanted to take part in the Junior Musher race so she could participate in community service. She is excited about being a Junior Musher and believes that the experience will leave her with a good feeling.

12. Hailey Mazurkiewicz
Hailey Mazurkiewicz is a seventh grader at Davis Middle School in Evanston. Hailey works hard to be a good student and spends lots of time with her pets. She has two poodles, a cat, a cockatiel bird, a hamster, and a hermit crab. She enjoys being a Cadet in Girls Scouts and plays the clarinet in her school band and the jazz band. Her favorite sport is volleyball and she loves to snow sled and swim. In her extra time she enjoys doing crafts, painting, drawing, sewing, and pottery. She said that being a Junior Musher sounds like fun because she loves sledding and wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

13. Brinae Sanders
Brinae Sanders is a sixth grader at Evanston Middle School. She wanted to be a Junior Musher because she enjoys competition and hard work and is especially excited to be around the dogs. She says that she feels that musher's and their dogs work very hard as a team to work toward their goal, which is why she wants to learn more about the sport. For her community project she decided to work at a youth organization that helps keep kids away from drugs and alcohol.

14. Morgan Eugster
Morgan Eugster is a seventh grader at Davis Middle School in Evanston. She loves animals and has been at the Start Line for the local race many times and has visited with the dogs. She wants to be a veterinarian and believes that this opportunity will help her with her goals. For her service project she worked at a child development center playing and reading to two-year olds. With this she learned about child growth and development. She would like to thank the City of Evanston for the opportunity of being a Junior Musher.

15. Lia Turiano
Lia Turiano is a fifth grader at Journeys School in Jackson. She says that she has loved dogs her whole life. She has been to the start of the race in Jackson every year. With her school she visits with the sled dogs and the musher's to see how they prepare for the race. She says that her dog Isis has a harness and is supposed to pull her on her skis but instead Isis would run along side her. Lia and her mom have tried to teach Isis sled dog commands but she just thinks it means to sit! She is excited to be part of the Junior Musher race.

16. Quinn King
Quinn King is a fifth grader at Journeys School in Jackson. He believes that being a Junior Musher will be an exciting experience. He says it will be one of the top five things he has ever done. He says that by participating in the Junior Musher race he is honoring his dog Sampson who passed away in January. He believes that he will have an amazing time and is absolutely ecstatic to have the opportunity. He is looking forward to learning more about mushing.