Elk River Rollerski Biathlon Race and Practice – June 27, 2021 – RESULTS

Results, thanks to Brian Wray

The photos — also from Brian Wray — from Sunday’s race can be found here: https://photo.wrocket.org/2021/june_elk_river_biathlon/

Elk River Rollerski Biathlon
9.3km – Interval Start
Overall / ClassNameCategoryClubFinishBackPPSSTotal
1 / 1Jake EllingsonSMNational Guard31:4800:0022329
2 / 1Matej CervenkaYMMount Itasca32:0500:1702125
3 / 1Cheresa BouleyJWTwin Cities35:1303:2520316
4 / 2Alex VaniasSMWisconsin Biathlon35:3503:47433212
5 / 2Matthew BrodersonYMTwin Cities35:3803:5021025
6 / 1Hunter ZupkoJMNational Guard38:0306:15334313
7 / 1Derek LindbergMMNational Guard39:1707:2921115
8 / 2Kaisa BosekJWWolfpack39:5008:0232027
9 / 1Eric AndersonU17MBluff Nordic40:2908:4132218
10 / 1Saylor LandrumYWTwin Cities43:1211:24233311
11 / 2Evelyn HudrlikYWTwin Cities43:2611:3823319
12 / 1Ella KarkelaU17WMount Itasca45:4313:55332311
13 / 3Ryan HousemanYMTwin Cities47:0715:19354416
14 / 3Lauren HuberYWWolfpack48:1516:27244313
15 / 4Maeve LindsayYWTwin Cities53:0321:15443516
16 / 1Emily BrodersonMWTwin Cities55:0123:13242311
17 / 2Keith KranzMMTwin Cities55:4523:57523414
18 / 4Owen FischerYMDuluth56:4024:52534416

Coming up on the 27th of June will be a daylong program at the Woodland Trails and Range at Elk River. In the morning, we will have a practice working on shooting skills and roller ski technique, and in the pm—the first Rollerski Biathlon Race of the season!! See the above Invitation for the race!

The program for the morning practice is as follows:

9:00 Meet at the range
9:00-10:30 shooting accuracy, rifle handling, and range procedure
10:30-12:00 – ski technique on roller skis

12:00 to 1:30 lunch on your own and race registration at 12:30

1:30 zero for the race
2:15 race start

Who: The practice is open to all who have experience with biathlon and have a rifle of their own or leased. It will be limited in the first opening round to a max of 10 participants. If more are interested, then we may open it up to as many as 10 more and split the training.

Contact: If you are interested in either the practice or the race, please contact me asap.

Cost: There will be no cost for the practice—Race entry is $10.

Another step in the Journey!
Bill Meyer, Coach

May 15/16 Camp at Mt. Itasca

Here is the information for our Minnesota Biathlon May Camp at Mt. Itasca, MN. This camp is a great jump start to the season and perfect time to do all new adjustments on your rifle or fitting rifle for new athletes. 

Dates: May 15-16 2021

Who:

  1. new athletes–   Athletes  will go through basic safety training, will do a rifle fitting and a  start on accuracy shooting, shooting prone and standing, developing good position and range procedure.
  2. experienced athletes – check position – make adjustments, and get started with some focused accuracy shooting.

 Schedule:

Saturday:

  • Camp will start at 10 AM. with  rifle adjusting and  fitting, dry firing and accuracy shooting. 
  • After lunch more shooting drills and some easy roller skiing.
  • After dinner more shooting drills.

Sunday:

  • Start at 9 AM with more shooting drills and shooting games.
  • Training will wrap up approx. 11:30 AM

There is a possibility to shoot on Friday night as well, if  you plan to arrive on Friday. Let me know! 

Cost and Registration:

-Cost for use of venue, coaching,   $30. Please make checks payable to Vlad Cervenka. Bring checks or cash with you, along with the attached registration form. Note that the USBA membership is required.

What to bring:

You will need running shoes, and several sets of training clothing, (Check the weather forecast before you come) as well as skate roller ski equipment and helmet, water bottle carrier, and bring some rain gear. Also bring a pair of thin ski gloves for shooting. 

Because it is not possible to camp at Mt. Itasca, you have to arrange you own housing and food. The headquarter  at Mt. Itasca will be open for lunch or dinner on Saturday. 

If you plan to come or need more info, let me know.
Vlad Cervenka: 218 256 8323 or cervenkv@gmail,com

Invitation to the daycamps 8/9 May Elk River – Camps now full

Please note this camp is now full.

Please consider this to be the invitation to the two daycamps at Elk River, the 8th and 9th of May. Cost will be $10 per day.

We have invited 5 newcomers to the camp—and hope to have their rifle fitting done starting at 8:00.

The camp for experienced athletes will start at 9:00 on both days. and run until approximately 4:30.

You can sign up for both days—preferred- or one day. We have only 15 open slots each day. The preferences will be to allot those to Youth and Junior athletes first and only those with their own or leased rifles. A very limited amount of ammo will be available in 500 rd cans for $42.50 per can—limited to one per athlete. {and expected to last into mid summer minimum!!} Only Youth and Juniors will be eligible for ammo purchase. If anyone finds a retail source for target ammo—[not high velocity or hollowpoint] please let me know. CCI has been problematic in our rifles.

You should bring your training clothes, ski boots, roller skis—preferably skate roller skis-, poles with road tips, running shoes, short poles for hill bounding, water, lunch and etc. If you feel unsure on roller skis you might want knee and elbow pads also. Helmets are mandatory when skiing!! Gloves are recommended!!

Be sure to check the weather and bring appropriate clothing. Shorts and tees are not appropriate for 40 deg rainy days!! If you bring gloves, be sure they are like ski gloves that you would wear in competition so you can feel the trigger. And beware you can’t shoot in bulky jackets or even warmup jackets with loose sleeves. Ditto with sweatshirts—they don’t work. Vests are good, or snug sleeves.. Race tops are the best.

The goals of the camp are:

  • Touch up the rifle fit on all rifles, especially raising positions as much as possible for stability in prone and getting level on the targets in standing, plus adjusting cheekpieces.
  • Going back to the basics of taking a shot, range procedure, and rifle handling
  • Going back to the basics of skiing—balance, movements, timing and general form
  • doing some basic accuracy tests for baseline for the year

The plan:

  • Fit rifles to novices first before 9:00
  • Set up two groups of 10 at 9:00 at the range
  • one group working on range while other is working on skiing
  • Switch midmorning

This will be repeated Sat pm and Sun morning. Sun pm to be announced

So please sign up asap if you are interested! We are lining up coaches and range help as we plan out the weekend.

Three more notes:
A] there will also be a camp at Mt Itasca for those interested the following weekend. I will forward that invitation when it comes in. That is optional. No food or camping/housing will be provided.
B] Many of you have received log forms for the coming training year. These do not fill themselves out!! Get in the habit of making a daily entry!! And for those who have not shared, you can share it with me and your coach by saving the log to google sheets and sharing it. If to me, please use wmeyer1041@gmail.com.. Otherwise I need to get your permission.
C] Last but not least by any means: Covid vaccinations are available for those 16 yrs and up. Please get it done!! MN is currently at about 40% with their first shot—but in the 20’s % done and probably fewer who have waited out the 14 days after the second shot or the Johnson shot. It has been indicated that the state needs 70% completely done to achieve herd immunity. If we don’t get there shortly, I fear the mutations will override the vaccines and we will be right back to last year again!!

So masks and distancing will be required at the camps unless you are shooting or on skis. That applies to all parents and coaches also. We need to drop the mask a little to scope [or they fog up] but otherwise lets all be compliant!!

The Journey begins again!!
Bill Meyer, Coach

MN Biathlon Membership

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. 

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.

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

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. 

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

Elk River time trial – Jan 10, 2021 – RESULTS

Time trials 10 Jan 21 at Elk River – Natural snow- +25F  B skls  9.1 km course
NAMEClubPPSSTOTAL FINISH TIMEClass
Men9.1km 
Drew SampsonTC31531235:35.0YM
Matthew BrodersonTC3321936:38.0<17
Eric AndersonBluff32421145:05.0<15
Carson Peterson TC34431445:31.0<15M
Noah BesemannTC42241246:13.0<17
Women9.1 km
Kaisa BosekWolf0101237:35.0YW
Audrey LahammerBluff32421140:29.0<17
Evelyn HudrlikTC4212940:44.0<17
Saylor LandrumTC1041641:04.0<17
Lauren HuberWolf44231349:27.0<17
Selah BinsfeldTC44331453:51.0<15