Non-Binary Ascent: Montgomery owns the mountain, Eik doubles up

• Ryan Montgomery won the non-binary race wire-to-wire in 29:40 (13:39/mi), never surrendering the lead and closing with the fastest Snow King→Finish split in the group
• David Eik took 2nd in 30:49 — just days after winning the Non-Binary title in the 23K, a genuine weekend double
• Andrew Catanese completed the podium in 32:49, exexactly 2:00 behind Eik
• Ra Criscitiello, 5th in 1:02:32, also pulled double duty, having placed 7th Non-Binary in the 23K

The non-binary field of five took on Broken Arrow's 3.5K Ascent — a straight climb through thin Sierra air topping out near 7,964 feet — and Ryan Montgomery made the result feel inevitable from the first checkpoint. The 31-year-old from Hanover held 1st at every timing point and stamped it shut with the fastest closing split in the group up Snow King to the finish, stopping the clock at 29:40 with an average of 13:39 per mile on the relentless grade.

The best story of the weekend, though, might belong to second place. David Eik of San Francisco arrived at this start line already a champion — he'd won the Non-Binary race in the 23K — and backed it up here with a 30:49, the second-fastest Snow King→Finish split in the group, finishing 1:09 behind Montgomery. Racing and podiuming twice in one Broken Arrow weekend, with a title in hand, is as strong a double as this field produced.

Andrew Catanese of Berkeley held 3rd throughout, finishing in 32:49 at 15:06/mi — the podium order never shuffled once, with each of the top three holding their position at every checkpoint. Casey Wei of San Francisco took 4th in 48:48, grinding out 22:27 miles on the climb.

Ra Criscitiello, at 44 the elder of the group, closed things out in 5th at 1:02:32 — and like Eik, did it on tired legs, having already finished 7th Non-Binary in the 23K. On a course where the air gets thinner with every step up, showing up twice in one weekend counts for something real.