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Minnesota Biathlon Fall Fest 2003 Results
Rollerski Biathlon Action at Camp Ripley.

The 8th Annual Fall Festival featured many of the top junior biathletes in the country competing in two days of rollerski biathlon races at Camp Ripley, Minnesota. The U.S. Junior National team captured many of the top spots, but a number of underdogs created some excitement.

In Saturday's Individual format race, 16 year old Brynden Manbeck of Grand Rapids, MN and the U.S. Junior National team, carried the race by hitting 15 of 20 targets. She proceeded Sonne Nordgren, US Junior Team and Marine, MN, and Julie Warneke of Elk River, MN.

In the men's field, Duluth athletes Bjorn Bakken and Adam Van Straten went 1-2, shooting 85% and 80%, respectively. Both Bakken and Van Straten are on the US Junior National Team. Third and Forth place overall in the Men's field were taken by youth competitors Brandon Ostroot, 16, (Columbia Heights, MN) and Ben Byrne, 18 (Grand Rapids, MN).

In Sunday's Women's Pursuit race, Julie Warneke was the suprise winner. Fast skiing carried her to this win over national team athletes Sonne Nordgren and Bryden Manbeck. Manbeck dominated the race early, but failed to do a penalty loop and incurred a 2 minute penalty. Warneke, 20, is a last year junior- she is looking to make her way on to the this winter's World Junior Championship Team for the first time.

The Men's Pursuit race was pretty much the Adam Van Straten show from start to finish. Van Straten hit 16 of 20 shots, and kept calm with early pressure from Bjorn Bakken and Brandon Ostoot. After some difficult shooting stages, Bakken held on to 2nd place, and Kurt Farchmin was able to move up from 6th place at the start to 3rd after the last shooting. Ben Byrne moved up to 4th place in the last stage. Young sensation Brandon Ostroot had moved up to 2nd place after successful prone shooting stages, but fell to 5th after a disastrous last standing stage.

These junior biathletes will now focus on training for the next 9 weeks, in preparation for the Junior World Championship Trials which will be held at Mt. Itasca, MN, Dec 31-Jan 3, 2004. results below
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• ::results
• Individual Results
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• Pursuit Results
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Aaron Nistler and Grant Webber on the course at Camp Ripley, 2003. [ Photo Credit Piotr Bednarski ]

Bjorn Bakken on the course at Camp Ripley, 2003. [ Photo Credit Piotr Bednarski ]