August 7, 2004 (Snowmass, Colo.) – The seventh stop on the NORBA circuit got underway today in Snowmass Village, just 10 miles west of Aspen, Colo.

Pro action on the agenda this afternoon was the mountain cross qualifier. Jill Kintner (Murrieta, Calif.) continued her dominance of the women’s mountain cross scene, earning the first seed for tomorrow’s finals. Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.), Tara Llanes (Los Alamitos, Calif.), Leana Gerrard (Sumner, Wash.), and Michelle Dumaresq (CAN) were the next fastest qualifiers.

In the men’s qualifier, Mike King (San Diego, Calif.) took the top spot this weekend, followed by Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.), Jared Graves (AUS), Rich Houseman (Pasadena, Calif.), and Brian Lopes (Murrieta, Calif.).

The finals will be contested tomorrow on the flowy and technical Fanny May mountain cross course. Other pro events on tap for tomorrow include the men’s and women’s cross country finals on the Big Burn cross-country course that will see riders climb 3000 feet per lap.