Press Release: Dec 18, 2011, Mt Itasca, Coleraine, MN

Day 2: IBU Cup Biathlon Trials‐ Pursuit Format
Day 2 of the IBU Cup Trials opened with a perfect shooting and skiing conditions. Despite a balmy 35 degrees, the course set up well, and the ski tracks at Mt Itasca were firm and fast. Russell Currier (MWSC) of Caribou, ME came out swinging after a poor performance in the Sprint competition of Day 1 where he finished in 4th. He had something to prove and he was able to redeem himself over the 12.5km course and 4 shooting stages.

Currier had the best shooting of the day, hitting 18 for 20, and skied with his signature high tempo and jump skate on the steep pitches of the 2.5km loop. Mark Johnson (Mt Itasca Biathlon) of Grand Rapids, MN finished in 2nd with 3 penalties, 1:04 sec out, followed by Wynn Roberts (US National Team/National Guard) of Battle Lake, MN, with 6 penalties.

In the Women’s 10km race, 14 seconds separated the top three finishers. Beth Ann Chamberlain (MWSC) returned to her hometown training ground at Mt Itasca and put down the fastest ski time of the day and hitting 15 for 20. BethAnn was just able to hold a 6 second margin of victory over Katrina Howe (MWSC) of Gunstock, NH who had 4 penalties. In third place, 14 seconds out of first, was 16 year old Anna Kubek (Mt Itasca Biathlon) of Duluth, MN, also with 4 penalties.

Day 3 will feature the most exciting format in biathlon, the mass start‐ 15km for men and 12.5km for women, with four shooting stages.

PHOTOS by Ben Kremer – if you have better photos please send them to info@minnesotabiathlon.com for inclusion. Thanks!

All 5 have the 3 spare round holders for relay format races built into them.

$65 each, or all 5 for $290.

Email Ben @ info@minnesotabiathlon.com or call 612-387-2002

Pursuit Results pdf

Pursuit Results xls

An incredibly beautiful March day greeted the athletes for Day 2 of the US Biathlon National Championship. Overnight temperature of 20F let the ski trail firm up nicely for today’s competition, and the bright sun and low winds were a big improvements over the rain and wind of  the Day 1- Sprint. The athletes were all relieved to see the rain of Thursday replaced by fast and firm track.

The Women’s 10km Pursuit came down to a battle on the skis, as Annelies Cook, Tracy Barnes, and Lanny Barnes all shot clean for both prone stages. Cook picked up three penalties in standing, while the Barnes twin each picked up two penalties a piece.   Annelies Cook (Saranac Lake, NY) was able to ski fast enough to take the victory, with Tracy Barnes (Durango, CO) and Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO) finishing second and third.

The Senior Men 12.5km race was punctuated with many more penalties. Bill Bowler (Wausau, WI) held the early lead, hitting 9 of 10 prone targets, but seven standing misses over the two standing stages pushed him back to 4^th at the finish. Wynn Roberts (Battle Lake, MN) was able to overcome 8 total penalties with a  good final standing stage and fast skiing for 1^st Place. Mark Johnson (Grand Rapids, MN) had the best shooting with 5 penalties and finished 2^nd, only 8 seconds back. Russell Currier (Caribou, ME) put on the afterburners to finish 31 seconds out, with 9 penalties and a big crash in the first loop.

Mt Itasca has hosted at least one major national biathlon event annually since the development of the Biathlon/Nordic center in 2000. Snowmaking and all grooming are run completely by volunteers, and the quality of skiing for  these Nationals was truly World Class.

The 2011 National Championships  will conclude with Mass Start events in 7 men’s and 6 women’s categories.

Additional photos on Fasterskier.com

View Slideshow – Photos from Randy Proell

Rained all morning, but the tracks held up well. Temps should drop some tonight, so we are looking at better conditions for the weekend.

SPRINT results pdf

SPRINT results xls

Please feel free to send photos to info@minnesotabiathlon.com for inclusion here.

Snowflake Biathlon

By: Laura Kennedy
lkennedy@wdio.com

With snow still several weeks away, racers left their cross country skis at home and took to their mountain bikes instead.

“I was originally a cross country skiier but then I studied abroad in Europe and biathlon is much bigger over there,” said Corrine Malcolm of Hayward, Wisconsin.

“I haven’t done a mountain bike biathlon before but I’ve done other biathlons, some summer races some winter ones,” said Jake Dalberg of Ely.

This biathlon mountain bike race was the first of its kind held at Snowflake Nordic Ski Center.

“There’s a number of running races the kids have been doing over the year,” said John Gould, coach for Duluth/Esko Biathlon. “We thought before winter starts and they get on skis it would be good to do one on mountain bikes.”

After one lap around the course on the bikes, racers have to slow their heart rates in order to take aim at these biathlon targets.

“You take your gun off, uncover your sights, really slow yourself down, take deep breaths and try to shoot your best,” said Nick Proell from St. Cloud.

Then, they take off for another lap. to complete the race, each biathlete must go through four circuits.

“It’s hard to get your mind on shooting after you’ve been out on the trails racing,” said Erik Rupert from Duluth. “Your head’s just spinning and you’ve got to shoot a target the size of a half dollar piece.”

“You come into the range with heart rates up around 180-190 beats per minute,” Gould said. “They have to be in good shape to do it.”

Many of these biathletes have their sights set on the junior national team or the Olympics. Events like this one help keep them in shape during the summer months.

“I do a lot of endurance sports like biking, running and skiing,” Rupert said. “It’s just a different spin on it.”

“It’s not just skiing, it’s shooting, so you have a better chance if you’re not the best skiier,” Proell said. “It’s really competitive and challenging.”

Sponsored by Minnesota Biathlon and Twin Cities Biathlon

RESULTS PDF

• Thursday, August 19, 2010
• Elk River Biathlon Range
  • Directions – http://www.minnesotabiathlon.com/mnbdirections.html
• 10K Mass Start (3 med/2 short loops]
  • With Penalty Loops

• Registration – 5:30 PM
• Zero – 6:00 PM
• Race Start – 6:45 PM
• Cost – $10.00 (Cheap!)
• Any questions? – Call Lou Chouinard at 612-724-6009
• Volunteers needed!!
  • Please call Lou to volunteer.

Registration Form

Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, VT

Final Results for the Sprint and Pursuit competitions!

• Sprint
• Pursuit
• Ethan Allen Biathlon Club Photos

Photo Set from Bill Meyer

Full Results

Wynn at the start – Photo: Ben Kremer

Dec 13 Mass Start spreadsheet

Zach Hall and Tracy Colliander Take Mass Start

Day 2 of the Biathlon World Team Trials started off with a low of -12 F.    Fortunately, the sun pushed through clouds and the Men’s 15km Mass Start began after a 2hr delay.  The new range approach, an extremely steep 75m climb, played havoc with the shooting for both men and women.

Walt Shepard, Yarmouth, ME,  got the drop on the field after the first shooting with an extremely fast and accurate first prone shooting.   A classic biathlon duel evolved over the next three stages with Zach Hall, Anchorage, AK, matching Shepard’s shooting accuracy but falling slightly behind in shooting speed.  Hall was able to  close the gap down over each ski leg.  Shepard and Hall left the last shooting stages only a few seconds apart.  Hall pounded out the last 3km with Shepard hanging on for dear life, with only 2.6 seconds separting the two at the finish.    The battle for third went to Dan Campbell, Bozeman, MT, with Jesse Downs, Jericho, VT and Wynn Roberts, Battle Lake, MN filling out the top 5.    Roberts posted the top ski time of the day for the second day in a row, but 8 penalties were too many to overcome.

In the women’s race, Carolyn Bramante, Duluth, MN, took the early lead after the first shooting stage with clean shooting, but as soon as the standing stages began Tracy Colliander, Durango, CO,  put on one of her signature displays of fast and flawless shooting.  Tracy went on to 60 sec victory.   Second and third places changed off several times in the later half of the race.  Laura Spector diplayed some of the ski speed that had put her on 2 World Championship team and finished 2nd with 6 total penalties.    With the fastest ski time of the day, Susan Dunklee, Barton, VT managed to salvage a 3rd place finish after a disappointing day on the shooting range with 9 penalties.

Competition for the 4 men’s and 4 women’s positions on the IBU Cup Team will resume on Dec 19th at Mt Itasca.  Three more races remain in the best 3 of 5 race series.  Complete results for all races can be viewed at www.minnesotabiathlon and www.usbiathlon.org.