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.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) before the start.
Getting ready for customers.
The junior men’s field hits the range.
Junior men’s field.
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).
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers) leads the junior men’s field.
Stuart Harden (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Start of the men’s race.
Tadhg Nakada (National Guard Biathlon).
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).
Siena Ellingson (Loppet Nordic Racing) leaving the range.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team).
Sarah Poisson-Grégoire of ACBQ leaves the range in the youth women’s race.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) leads Casey Smith (US Biathlon “B” Team/Maine Winter Sports Center) and Vincent Blais (ACBQ) onto the course.
Kesey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Kelsey Dickinson representing the Maine Winter Sports Center at NorAms in Canmore in December, 2014.
The senior men’s field shooting prone for the first time.
Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Youth men’s field.
Junior men’s field.
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).
Sean Doherty (USBA “X” Team) smiling after winning a NorAm mass start in Canmore, Alberta, earlier this season. Photo: Jake Ellingson.
Arthur Roots (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Erin Yungblut (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) leading the youth field to the range at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team) bringing it home for the win in the men’s race.
Men’s field ready to start.
Sasha Eccleston (Camrose Vikings).
Grant Novak (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon, bib 3) and the rest of the youth men’s field about to start.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) in the men’s race.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team), Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project), and Max Durtschi (US Biathlon X Team) racing
15352732513_c2f1d90342_k
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) and Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) off the line in the junior women’s race.
Andrew Chisholm (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) leads Matt Neumann (Caledonia Nordic Ski Club).
Teo Sanchez (Chelsea Nordic) leads Jason Lawton (Biathlon Ontario) and others into the range in the youth men’s race.
Start of the youth men’s race.
Kristin Chicoine (Foothills Nordic) had the best race suit, by far.
Elise Putnam (National Guard Biathlon).
The youth men’s field ready to start.
Charles Pépin of La Poursuite leaves the range during the youth men’s race. Photo: Jake Ellingson
Heading down hill.
Youth women on the shooting mats.
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team) takes a big lead to the finish line of the women’s race.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center) leads Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center) and the rest of the junior women’s field.
Leilani Tam Von Burg (Biathlon Alberta Training Center).
Tobias Quinn (Biathlon Ontario).
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).
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).
The junior men’s field before the start.
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)
Brian Halligan (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon).
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center) bringing it in for second place in the women’s race.
Melanie Schultz (Canmore Nordic).
The youth men heading into the range.
Kelsey Dickinson (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon Development Team) heading for the finish.
Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) leads the men’s field into the range for the first prone.
Men’s field ready to start.
Maddie Phaneuf (Maine Winter Sports Center/US Biathlon X Team) zeroing before competition.
Jarod Algra (West Coast Nordics) leads the youth men’s field into the range for prone.
Jordan McElroy (National Guard Biathlon).
The men’s field leaves the start.
Patrick Johnson (Far West Elite Team/Auburn Ski Club) warming up.
Youth men’s field on the range.
Vincent Blais (ACBQ) in the men’s race.
Clare Egan (Craftsbury Green Racing Project/US Biathlon X Team).
Jacob Dalberg (National Guard Biathlon) and Mike Gibson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project).
Ethan Dreissigacker (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) and Sean Doherty (US Biathlon X Team).
The men’s field approaches the range for the first time.
Former US Biathlon development skier Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) racing in December 2014.
Guillaume Bertrand (Rocky Mountain Racers).
Léo Grandbois (Biathlon Estrie) racing at the Canmore NorAm mass start in December 2014. (Photo: Jake Ellingson)
Women’s field.
Katrina Howe (Maine Winter Sports Center).
Paul Everett (Methow Valley Biathlon) and Jules Burnotte (Biathlon Estrie) in the penalty loop.
