MARQUETTE – Musher Ryan Anderson of Ray, Minnesota, once again snagged the first place finish in the U.P. 200 – his sixth in seven years.

Anderson and his team of Alaskan Huskies came across the finish line in Marquette’s Mattson Lower Harbor Park around 11 a.m. today, and was greeted by a crowd of cheering spectators.

“It went great, the dogs performed very well,” Anderson said. “This year, we ran more miles and trained harder than I ever had.”

Martin Massicote, of Saint-Tite, Quebec, Canada, took second place, finishing just minutes after Anderson.

During the last leg of the race, Andeson said Massicote caught up to him, coming within a mile and lagging behind by about three to four minutes, he said.

“I was looking back every 30 seconds, and I saw him and thought, ‘oh no,'” Anderson said. “But as soon as I saw him, I started pushing and we started cruising.”

In third place was Denis Tremblay of Saint-Michel-des-Saints, Quebec, Canada.

Fourteen teams left Marquette Friday night on the 240-mile trail to Grand Marais and back.

Kelsie Thompson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.