New Gloucester, ME June 14. US Biathlon Executive Director Max Cobb today announced that Patrick Coffey (St. Alban’s, VT) has been hired as a full-time Assistant Coach for the US Biathlon Team, while Gary Colliander of the Maine Winter Sports Center (Caribou, ME) will assist with the National B Team.
The 2008-2009 National Team rosters were announced in conjunction with the coaching realignment.
Coffey has worked with the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club in Jericho, VT and this spring became a resident coach at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY, where he was working with resident National B Team athletes. He remains in Lake Placid and will now also supervise the daily training of National Team members Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY), Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY), and Haley Johnson (Lake Placid, NY). Coffey will work alongside National Team Coach Per Nilsson at all National Team training camps this summer and fall. During the World Cup season, he will split his time between the World Cup competitions and assisting with the B Team on the European Open Cup Circuit. Coffey’s promotion is a result of the departure of National Team Co-Coach Mikael Lofgren.
While Coffey spends more time with the A Team athletes, Gary Colliander will work closely with the B Team in addition to his responsibilities at the Maine Winter Sports Center. Colliander has been an assistant coach for the National Junior Team for several years.
The National A and B Teams recently completed their first major training camp of the season in Lake Placid. The athletes will spend July completing individual training blocks at home, before going to Sweden for the next camp in August.
James Upham (Farmington, ME) remains as US Biathlon Development Coach, working and residing at the OTC in Lake Placid. Vladimir Cervenka (Grand Rapids, MN) continues as National Junior Coach, based at the Mount Itasca Biathlon Center in Coleraine, MN while Algis Shalna (Williston, VT) works with developing junior athletes and the Vermont Collegiate Biathlon Program in Jericho, VT.
The following athletes comprise the US Biathlon National Teams for 2008-2009.
National Team A: Tim Burke (Paul Smiths, NY), Jay Hakkinen (Kasilof, AK), Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, NY), Jeremy Teela (Anchorage, AK), Russell Currier (Stockholm, ME) Haley Johnson (Lake Placid, NY), Laura Spector (Lenox, MA)
National Team B: Zach Hall, (Nikiski, AK), Jesse Downs (Jericho, VT), Sara Studebaker (Boise, ID), Lanny Barnes (Durango, CO), Tracy Barnes Colliander (Durango, CO), Meagan Toussaint (Madawaska, ME), Brynden Manbeck (Grand Rapids, MN), Annilies Cook (Saranac Lake, NY), Walt Shepard (Brunswick, ME).
Development Team: Casey Simmons (Park City, UT ), Bill Bowler (Wausau, WI), Jenny Wygant (Burnsville, MN ), Susan Dunklee (Barton, VT )
Junior National Team: Leif Nordgren* (Marine-on-St. Croix, MN), Wynn Roberts* (Battle Lake, MN), Hilary McNamee (Fort Fairfield, ME), Ethan Dreissigacker (Morrisville, VT), Addie Byrne (Bovey, MN), Grace Boutot (Fort Kent, ME), Preston Butler (Marion, MA) Raleigh Goessling (Duluth, MN)
*Nordgren and Roberts will train part-time with the National A Team
The United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States. http://www.usbiathlon.org
Source: USBA
