CNSC Juniors at the COC Biathlon Invitational

On Saturday, 25 junior and masters biathletes from around Northern Vermont came together for the third Craftsbury Biathlon Invitational Race of the season. The race was a Short Individual, which means four shooting stages and a time penalty is assessed at the completion of the race, instead of the usual penalty loop for missed shots. Traditionally, the shooting sequence for Individuals and Short Individuals is prone, standing, prone, standing, though this is adapted in the younger categories for racers who do not yet shoot in the standing position. 

The U13 racers shot prone four times, with shootings one and three on prone size (smaller) targets and shootings two and four on standing (larger) size targets. Each miss garnered racers a 30 second time penalty. They skied an 800 meter loop five times, for a total of 4k. Adele Pritchard, shooting with the assistance of a block, was 2nd in the age group, cleaning both of her “standing” stages! Clare Pritchard was close behind, missing only one in each of her “standing” stages. Zeb Whitlock took the win in the U13 boys category, also with two clean “standing” stages. 

The U15 race was prone, standing, prone standing, with a 30 second penalty per miss.  The course was five 1.5k loops, for 7.5k total. Max Demaine was 4th in the U15 boys category. In the girls category, Amelia Circosta was first, with a clean prone stage! Ruth Krebs wasn’t far behind, with three stages where she missed only one shot! New biathletes Gabbie Schaffer and Phoenix Masten were the next finishers, both doing an excellent job in their first biathlon races! 

The Youth category skied five 2k loops, for a total of 10k. They also shot prone, standing, prone, standing but received a 45 second penalty for each missed shot. Leo Circosta was 1st, missing only one shot in stages two and three. Charlie Krebs was only a little bit behind, with an impressive first prone stage, missing only one target.

Ruth Krebs at a biathlon race in Jericho last winter.