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.
Charles Pépin of La Poursuite leaves the range during the youth men’s race. Photo: Jake Ellingson
Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) and Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) in the penalty loop.
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
The youth men heading into the range.
Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) en route to winning the youth men’s race.
Emily Dickson (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Sarah Poisson-Grégoire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Tadhg Nakada (National Guard Biathlon).
Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Youth men’s field.
Kelsey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team) heading for the finish.
Youth men’s field on the range.
The youth men’s field ready to start.
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
Start of the men’s race.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Sasha Eccleston (Camrose Vikings).
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
Start of the youth men’s race.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) is the first to leave the range in the youth men’s race.
Brian Halligan (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Getting ready for customers.
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon “B” Team) in the penalty loop.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
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).
Junior men’s field.
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) before the start.
Jarod Algra (West Coast Nordics) leads the youth men’s field into the range for prone.
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) leads the men’s field into the range for the first prone.
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing) leaving the range.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing).
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic) leads Jason Lawton (Biathlon Ontario) and others into the range in the youth men’s race.
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).
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).
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).
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)
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) and Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) off the line in the junior women’s race.
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Men’s field ready to start.
Heading down hill.
The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Junior men’s field.
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Elise Putnam (National Guard Biathlon).
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers).
The men’s field leaves the start.
Men’s field ready to start.
Women’s field.
The junior men’s field before the start.
Youth women on the shooting mats.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) leads Casey Smith (US Biathlon “B” Team/Maine Winter Sports Center) and Vincent Blais (ACBQ) onto the course.
The senior men’s field shooting prone for the first time.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team) zeroing before competition.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team).
Vincent Blais (ACBQ) in the men’s race.
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon) and Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team).
Kelsey Dickinson representing the Maine Winter Sports Center at NorAms in Canmore in December, 2014.
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team) takes a big lead to the finish line of the women’s race.
Casey Smith (Maine Winter Sports Center) still on the shooting mat after most of the men’s field has left.
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).
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) warming up.
