USBA had named the teams for the early World Cup and IBU Cup races. A number of Midwest Biathletes are on the teams! Our Congrats go out especially to Vasek Cervenka, who made the IBU Cup team as a first year Junior at 19!! He will also be automatically prequalified for the US Youth and Junior Team with the rest selected from races in Utah in late December.

The Teams were named based on the results of roller ski Biathlon races in Vermont in August and Utah late in Oct. As indicated, some World Cup members were prequalified based on last years results.

Bill Meyer
Coach

(Nov. 5, 2018) — Following the completion of the Rollerski Team Trials last week in Soldier Hollow, Utah, U.S. Biathlon has announced the roster for the opening BMW IBU World Cup in Pokljuka, Slovenia, Nov. 30-Dec. 9. The roster includes six Olympians from the 2018 PyeongChang Games.

The women’s roster, which has three start spots in Pokljuka, boasts four biathletes with Olympic experience. Susan Dunklee (Barton, Vt.), Clare Egan (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) and Joanne Reid (Palo Alto, Calif.) were pre-qualified for the World Cup roster prior to the rollerski trials. They will be joined by fellow 2018 Olympian Emily Dreissigacker (Morrisville, Vt.). A decision regarding which three athletes will start what races in Pokljuka will be made by the coaching staff at the World Cup.

At the conclusion of the Pokljuka World Cup, one woman will be selected to also compete at the IBU Cup #2 in Ridnaun-Val Ridanna, Italy, Dec. 10-16.

The U.S. men’s World Cup team for Pokljuka will include pre-qualified athletes and two-time Olympians Sean Doherty (Center Conway, N.H.) and Leif Nordgren (Marine, Minn.), along with rollerski trials winner Paul Schommer (Appleton, Wis.) and Travis Cooper (Kenai, Alaska). Because Cooper must compete at the IBU Cup #1, Nov. 26-Dec. 2 in Idre, Sweden, to earn his IBU qualification, Max Durschi (Ketchum, Idaho) will also travel to the World Cup in Pokljuka as a reserve. The men’s team has four start spots at the World Cup.

Selected to race at IBU Cup #2 in Ridnaun-Val Ridanna, Italy, on the women’s team were Hallie Grossman (South Burlington, Vt.), Deedra Irwin (Pulaski, Wis.) and Kelsey Dickinson (Winthrop, Wash.). They will be joined by one member of the BMW IBU World Cup team from Pokljuka to round out the four starting spots.

The men’s four starting spots at the IBU Cup #2 will be filled by Durtschi, Alex Howe (Gilford, N.H.), Jake Brown (St. Paul, Minn.) and Vasek Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn.).