After the first round of NorAms being canceled in Canmore, Alberta, two weekends ago due to cold weather, the domestic biathlon season finally got off the ground on Thursday with the first race in a NorAm series which also served as Canada’s selection trials for its team to World Youth and Junior Championships in Minsk, Belarus. The team has not yet been named.
On Sunday, a day of mass start competitions, Loppet Nordic Racing’s Jake Ellingson decided to take a day off in preparation for the next round of NorAms in Mount Itasca, Minnesota, and took the opportunity to shoot the day’s races with a camera instead of a rifle.
While the youth and junior categories remained as competitive as ever, with not only the best Canadians vying for a trip to Minsk but several provinces also using the races as trials for the Canada Games and few Americans scattered in as well, the senior category lost the entries of Canada’s IBU Cup team, which departed for Europe that day. A strong field of Americans and remaining Canadians nonetheless battled it out.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
Men’s podium: race winner Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon “B” Team) in the penalty loop.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) before the start.
Junior men’s field.
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing) leaving the range.
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
Vincent Blais (ACBQ) in the men’s race.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Junior women’s podium: winner Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team, center); 2nd place Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); 3rd place Alexandria Hynds (Chelsea Nordiq, left).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center) still on the shooting mat after most of the men’s field has left.
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Start of the men’s race.
Elise Putnam (National Guard Biathlon).
Junior men’s podium: winner Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers, center); 2nd place Matt Strum (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, right); and 3rd place Matt Hudec (Biathlon Alberta Training Center, left).
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Youth women on the shooting mats.
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Grant Novak (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Men’s field ready to start.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) and Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) off the line in the junior women’s race.
The junior men’s field before the start.
Youth men’s field on the range.
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
Sarah Poisson-Grégoire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team).
Heading down hill.
Women’s podium: winner Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project, center); 2nd place Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center, left); 3rd place Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
The men’s field leaves the start.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
Start of the youth men’s race.
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing).
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Melanie Schultz (Canmore Nordic).
Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic) leads Jason Lawton (Biathlon Ontario) and others into the range in the youth men’s race.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Kelsey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team) heading for the finish.
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) leads the men’s field into the range for the first prone.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) warming up.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Max Durtschi, who attended last year’s tryout camp, racing in his U.S. biathlon duds at a NorAm competition in Canmore, Alberta, this winter. (Photo: Jakob Ellingson)
The senior men’s field shooting prone for the first time.
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon) and Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Youth women’s podium: winner Bryn Robertson (Foothills Nordic, center); 2nd place Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing, left); 3rd place Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Getting ready for customers.
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Sasha Eccleston (Camrose Vikings).
Kelsey Dickinson representing the Maine Winter Sports Center at NorAms in Canmore in December, 2014.
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
