Category Archives: Nisswa

Upcoming events and racing on Snow!! – Bill Meyer

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Good Morning Everyone!!

Summarizing our upcoming schedule and getting some signups for W. Yellowstone over Thanksgiving week, Youth and Junior World Team Trials at the end of Dec and US Nationals at the end of March.

First—would anyone be interested in another daycamp at Elk River on Sunday the 14th of Nov? Please let me know asap if you are. This is tentative at this point until I hear from you guys.

Then the annual Thanksgiving camp at West Yellowstone including a biathlon race on Wed the 24th of Nov is coming right up!! The Team leaders will be the Brodersons:
emilyruthbroderson@gmail.com

They have some information on housing and the week’s plans—so let them know if you are planning on that and keep me in the loop also!!

Then we have races scheduled at Mt Itasca in early Dec:
MN Cup #1 on Sunday, 5 Dec. This is open to all comers, but is also dependent on snowmaking/weather!
Regional races/MN Cups Sat and Sunday 11/12 Dec. Again these races are open to all comers

Invitations to these events will be forthcoming prior to the events.

Then at the National level coming up right after Christmas at Soldier Hollow, Utah, 27-31 Dec, US Biathlon is holding the US Youth and Junior Team Trials to determine who makes the team to the YJr World Championships and a few other international events.

This venue is up at high altitude, 5900 feet, so anyone planning on attending should plan to arrive well ahead of the first race. Official Training will start on 27 Dec and races will be on 28,30 & 31 Dec.

We will have a coaching staff headed up by Jeff Bosek with assistance from Marcus/Tara Landrum and Chad/Lynda Bouley headed out. Jean and I will be out prior to the races. Other coaches are welcome to join in!!

Housing in the Heber City/Midway UT appears to be quite expensive. This series is for advanced athletes who have a shot at making the teams. It is also a good chance for an advanced athlete to just experience the National Trials atmosphere, but for most in that category, Nationals would be a better choice. See below. Only age classes <17, Youth and Juniors are eligible for team positions. <17 & Youth are combined into one class.

If you plan to attend Trials—please let Jeff and me know asap!!
pro8diver@gmail.com

In Jan:

15/16 Jan – Regional races at Blackhawk in Madison- these are also MN Cup races
29/30 Jan – Regional races at Elk River—MN Cup races also

And more Regional and MN Cup events the rest of the winter.

Then on the 23rd-27th of March—US Biathlon will hold US Nationals at Lake Placid. This venue is lower—and a good place for an aspiring biathlete to dip their big toe in the water of National competition!!!

So please let me know your plans—so we can adequately staff these events!!

Enjoy the Journey—you have been working hard to get to the main season—just now coming up!!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

MN Biathlon Training Racing Schedule – April-Dec 2021

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April-Dec 2021

April

  • 12 April– begin training plan for 2021-2022

May

  • 8/9 two-day camp Elk River
    Experienced AM and PM- Max 10
    shooting focus Newcomers PM Max 10
  • 15/16 Weekend shooting camp Mt Itasca -optional- housing and food on your own
  • 16 Rifle Fitting / Shooting Clinic Blackhawk Ski Club, Youth and Masters

June

  • 14-20 Weeklong shooting Camp at Mt Itasca, MN, Camping and Breakfast/lunch included
  • 25-27 Shooting and Ski Camp at Blackhawk, Camping available at Blackhawk
  • 26 Safety Certification Class at Blackhawk
  • Sun 27 Daycamp Elk River Max 20
  • Sun 27 Rollerski biathlon race- Elk River

July

  • Sat 17 Day Camp at Wolfpack Biathlon, MN
  • Thurs 22 Rollerski biathlon race- Elk River

August

  • 2-8 National camp and Summer Championships at Jericho VT or Craftsbury Tentative!!
  • Sun 15 Day camp Duluth Snowflake Ski Club
  • Thurs 19 Rollerski biathlon race- Elk River

September

  • 12 Day camp Mt Itasca, MN
  • 11/12 Two Day Camp and Race, Blackhawk Ski Club, Youth and Masters

October

  • 16/17 Day camp Elk River, MN, Fall Festival with Roller Ski Biathlon Race

November

  • Sun 14 Daycamp Elk River
  • 21-28 Thanksgiving camp- West Yellowstone
    incl biathlon race

December

  • 4/5 On snow- Mt Itasca
  • Sun 5 race on snow Mt Itasca MN Cup #1
  • Sun 12 race on snow Mt Itasca MN Cup #2
  • 26-31 Youth and Junior National Team Trials- Soldier Hollow. Race dates to be determined. 

March 2022

  • 23-27 US National Championships, Lake Placid,NY

Note: Dates and events subject to change based on weather, availability and condition of venues and Covid restrictions. Full winter race schedule for MN and WI will be added at a later date.

MN Biathlon Membership

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Good Morning!! 

Here is the membership form for MN Biathlon for the coming training year which will start on 12th of April, and runs from April to April. A USBA membership is also required to use the ranges and participate in events (membership runs from Oct to Oct). USBA provides our range insurance. 

2122-MNBia-Membership-FormDownload

Also coming up are rifles leases for those leasing MN Biathlon rifles for the coming year. We are still working on the final distribution list, and we will contact those affected within the next couple of weeks. Rifle lease prices will remain the same as last year –$200 for a bolt action or Izhmach, and $225 for an Anschutz Fortner action. If you want a club rifle but haven’t returned the questionnaire to me yet, I need that before we will re-issue any rifle.

MN-Biathlon.-2021-2022-Questionaire-1Download

Training plans for the upcoming season are also being developed according to the information I have. If you want a plan, but have not indicated to me you would like a plan, please do so. I will need  the number of hours you trained last year, and reserve the right to just refer you to our pretty much weekly email. I am waiting on USBA to get their Trials schedule out. The IBU Youth and Junior World Championships will be held at Soldier Hollow in the US in late February this upcoming season!  

Currently we have 10 athletes from the Midwest headed for West Yellowstone for US Biathlon Nationals. Some are there, some are on their way, and some leave in the am. Good Luck to all!! 140+biathletes from around the lower 48 snowbelt plus AK are registered!! Should be a lot of fun!! The Covid testing requirements are strict!!  

Meanwhile, please take a minute to fill out the attached form, and return it to me as indicated. Any checks should be made out to MN Biathlon.  

Thanks—lets get this done asap!  
Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Mt Itasca on Sunday, rifles turn in, and Nationals

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Good Morning Everyone! Just a followup to earlier emails!

  • We are making plans for the trip to Nationals at West Yellowstone. We have 9 from the Midwest signed up, with 2 or 3 more on the fence yet. Jeff Bosek is the trip leader. Jeff, Mark Torresani and I are planning on coaching. If you plan to attend, please look over the Covid protocol above and the Nationals Invitation. Fill them out and note they must be submitted online no later than the afternoon of Sunday 21st of March for registration. There is no onsite registration!!! And please let Jeff and me know if you are coming and haven’t already contacted us; or if you need to confirm. When you are registering and if you will be shooting on Tues or Wed prior to Official Training, try to get the 10:00-12:00 slot for range time. Jeff will be available on the range to coach those days. Some of us are staying at the Day’s Inn. We suggest a direct call vs online to save a few $$. 
  • All MN Biathlon rifles leased for the year are due to be turned in at the end of the month. A questionnaire has been sent to all those who have rifles, or have expressed interest in leasing next year. If you misplaced that, or didn’t get one and would like to lease next year, that form is also attached. If you want a rifle next year, you need to fill that out and return it to me—either by email or by mail to the below address by Monday the 15th of March. 
NationalsInvite2021-1Download
US-Nationals-Covid-Testing-Info-1Download
MN-Biathlon.-2021-2022-QuestionaireDownload

If you are not attending Nationals, please thoroughly clean and then turn in the rifle asap or after the Sunday race. If you have had good participation and would like to lease again, please put a piece of masking tape on the stock with your name on it. After the coaches go through the rifles and clean them, check them over, and replace any missing/damaged parts, we will be re-issuing. Who gets a rifle, who gets an upgrade, or who will need to buy their own to continue will be determined based mostly on the questionnaire answers and the coach’s discretion thereto.  If you are going to Nationals, we can look the rifles over at West and re-issue for next year. Please contact me if you have any questions!!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon

Jan 2021 updates

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Due to the last Covid rules which curtail competitions per se until the 14th of Jan, MN Cup #2 as rescheduled is now cancelled. Our planning has gotten short range by necessity, and for that I apologize—but we do have a couple of events that should be ok and should happen!!

This coming Sunday—Elk River- we will have a time trial course set up where you can come, zero yourself and time yourself. It will use the normal winter course Pursuit format so PPSS and a 5 lap total of 9.1km of skiing plus penalty loops.

To accommodate both zeroing and time trialing we will need to do this by 10 maximum wave appointments with me. 9:30 or 11:00. Please sign up shortly. If we run out of slots [10 x 2], I will open up another time slot in the early afternoon We will need to zero quickly so be there on time and ready to go. I anticipate no more than 15 min to zero. Once we switch to metal, all zeroing will be done for that wave. Watch your email, as I might move you or your group to anther time slot.

The 23rd/24th weekend is not yet determined—we may do more time trials at Elk River

and the 30th/31st will be Regional races at Mt Itasca, with an announcement/invitation coming out shortly.

I am anticipating at least two events in Feb, another Regional event in March along with Nationals in West Yellowstone.

I did note this past weekend that quite a few of our Biathletes participated in the JNQ races in Houghton MI with some really spectacular results!! Training pays!!

Enjoy the Journey!
Bill Meyer, Coach

Vermont camp and Lake Placid camps cancelled

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All Athletes, Coaches and Parents,

The Saga continues.

Yesterday we received notice from the USBA office that both the Vermont camp and races there plus the follow-up elite camp at Lake Placid have been cancelled due to the virus concerns and inability to host large numbers of people safely. For those who were looking at the scheduled races as part of the Trials for IBU or World Cup Team positions, USBA will be scheduling some additional events later in the summer/fall for a fair trials contest.

In MN our plans will be to continue to hold Daycamps around the state, and localized weekly training practices; along with 3 or 4 rollerski races at Elk River as scheduled pending any changes in the rules. Currently MN is one of the few states where the numbers of new cases are declining.

With all this in mind, it is even more important that you do your own training as planned, work at improving your own Personal Records and keep up with the tests and times we are asking you to do. And keep reporting those back to me. At the end of the upcoming Mt Itasca Day camp, I will circulate some of the up to date spreadsheets so you can compare yourself with others. Collectively we have made equal or better gains in the basics this year than we have in normal years!! We are stronger, skiing better, and shooting better than ever before!!

Stay safe and practice good personal habits, even if those around you are careless or don’t recognize their obligation to other people!

Bill Meyer, Coach
MNBiathlon