Local sports shorts

DULUTH -- Levi LaVallee of Longville raced his Polaris to a fourth-place finish in the first of a series of ESPN Winter X Games Qualifiers in the Ski Doo Duluth Nationals at Spirit Mountain last weekend.

The placing qualifies LaVallee for the X Games in Aspen, Colo., in January.

Other area racers competing at Spirit Mountain, the season opener for the Snocross Worldwide Championship Series, were Amanda Johnson of Aitkin, Mike Schultz of Fort Ripley and Trevor John of Crosslake.

Johnson raced her Ski Doo to victory in the Pro Women's feature. This was the first win on a Ski Doo for Johnson, the defending points champion and a former Arctic Cat racer.

Schultz, on his Polaris, was third in the Semi-Pro Open final and 12th in the Semi-Pro Stock feature.

John, who returned to Arctic Cat after several years riding a Polaris, finished 14th in the Pro Open.

Tucker Hibbert of Goodridge won the Pro Stock feature and Blair Morgan won the Pro Open.

Correction/clarification

Because of incorrect information given to The Dispatch, the heavyweight champion in Saturday's Wadena-Deer Creek wrestling invitational was incorrect in Monday's edition. Phil Shequen of Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus won the championship, defeating Josh Ingle of Greenbush-Middle River-Badger 6-5.

The Dispatch regrets the error.