Selection Races Summary 2009 – spreadsheet
Selection Races Summary 2009 – pdf
Day 5- Big Win for Chamberlain, Roberts Squeeks in Final Win
Perfect corduroy greeted athletes at Mt Itasca for Day 5 of competition of the World Team Trials. BethAnn Chamberlain came out swinging and posted the only clean shooting of the day. So far the Trials events had not gone well for BethAnn and she needed a victory in order to qualify for the IBU Cup team. Though she now calls Preque Isle, ME home, Chamberlain grew up in Grand Rapids and is right at home at Mt Itasca. With a hometown crowd cheering for her, Chamberlain managed a 5 second victory over Laura Spector of Lennox, MA. Susan Dunklee posted the fastest ski time of the day for third place, 28 seconds out of first. Susan finished either 2nd or 3rd in all 5 races at Mt Itasca.
For the men’s race, the battle raged in the last skiing loop of the day. The top 4 men went into the last 5km ski loop within 10 seconds of each other. Wynn Roberts, Battle Lake, MN, had a blazing last loop, pulling out a 3 second victory over Leif Nordgren, Marine of St Croix, MN. Nordgren had been fighting sickness at the beginning of the race series and needed a big race today. Hitting 90% he was able Nordgren pulled himself up in the rankings but could not quite match his training partner, Roberts, on the ski tracks. Zach Hall, Anchorage, AK , was on the podium again for 5 out of 5 races, shooting 80% and skiing a great last lap. Only .8 seconds behind Hall was Mark Johnson in 4th. Mark, who has grown up training and racing at Mt Itasca, tried to squeeze every last second out of the familiar terrain. The hometown crowd and 90% shooting was not quite enough to put him on the podium.
In the Junior Men’s race, Nordgren took first, followed by Wayne McClure of Anchorage. Michal Gibson , Burlington, VT finished third. In the Junior Women’s Sprint, Grace Boutot of Caribou, ME won by a large margin, shooting 2 penalties. Hillary McNamee, Presque Isle, ME was second, shooting 70%. Malcolm of Hayward, WI placed 3rd with strong skiing. This is Corrine’s first season of biathlon competition.
The Youth Women showed some of the best shooting of the day. Andrea Mayo, Soldier Pond, ME shot 80% for a 40 second win over second place Kelly Kjorlien. Kjorlien, Grand Rapids, MN, in her second year of biathlon competition shot an impressive 90%. Rookie Afton Snyder, Grand Rapids, MN, took third with two penalties.
Casey Smith, Methow Valley, WA won the Youth Men’s with 80% shooting and impressive skiing, matching second place Raleigh Goessling on the ski tracks. Goessling, Esko, MN finished 21 second back with 70% shooting. Also shooting 70% was Ben Greenwald of Minneapolis, MN finishing 3rd, 58 seconds out of first.
Full results and the final series points can be found on www.minnesotabiathlon.com and www.usbiathlon.org.
Beth Ann Chamberlain, winner Day 5, Sprint 7.5km - photo credit Roy Kjorlien