On Sunday night, Mike Williams Jr. finished the 2018 Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race in seventh place.
The veteran Akiak musher said that he was pretty happy with his dogs’ performance on the trail’s tough glare ice. "I think they handled it fine," he said. "These dogs came in pretty strong. I was dragging brake a lot the last couple hours to slow them down. They got a little tired on the run to Tuluksak."
Williams' longtime leader Chief sustained a good pace throughout the race, even though he's getting older. "He ran single lead for just about half the race, and he was looking really good here, coming in strong," Williams said. "It looks like he has another year in him, I hope. You know, time will tell. But he got me here."
Williams is registered for the Iditarod this year and is already looking ahead to the next race. "At this point, just try to get the dogs back that got sore wrists, couple sore shoulders," he said. "I think they’re minor. Before I start running them again, just check them out and make sure they’re back to 100 percent. And hopefully we’ll get some snow out here soon."
Williams isn't just proud of his own finish. His brother-in-law ran the K300 this year for the first time, winning Rookie of the Year. "I didn’t give him any advice," he said. "He looked good, and the dogs were barking and looking energetic when I saw them. It was good to see that."