Farewell to Sam Dougherty

Former head of biathlon, Sam Dougherty.

Friday, November 8 marks the end of an era for Craftsbury Biathlon with the departure of coach Sam Dougherty. For the last four years, Sam has served as the head of the biathlon program, coaching the Green Racing Project and BKL biathlon teams as well as teaching private lessons and camp group lessons. As GRP coach, Sam traveled with the team around the United States, Canada, and Europe. He helped guide nearly every GRP biathlete that he coached to race in Europe either at the IBU Cup or World Cup level. With the BKLers, Sam helped bring a number of youngsters along in the sport, even shepherding many of them to their first biathlon races! On campus, Sam has introduced more than a hundred individuals and running campers to biathlon via private lessons and camp sessions. Children and adults alike first learned the rules of rifle safety and then experience the joy of hitting biathlon targets in rapid succession under Sam’s tutelage.

Ethan overseeing a novice clinic in advance of the singletrack shootout.

Ethan Dreissigacker will take the helm of the biathlon program for the remainder of this fall and winter. Ethan spent much of his childhood in Craftsbury, was coached by Pepa Miloucheva as a BKLer and junior skier, attended college, then became a member of the GRP biathlon team. After retiring from high-level racing in 2017, he began working with the Craftsbury biathlon programs, mostly focusing on BKLers, lessons, and campers. In addition to working with younger athletes and the GRP, Ethan will  launch and coach a brand new Masters biathlon program at the COC, truly making biathlon a lifelong sport in Craftsbury.

At the end of the 2019-2020 racing season, Michael Gibson will take the reins of GRP coach from Ethan. Michael is another product of the Craftsbury junior system and the GRP. He has been working with the US Biathlon Team for the last several years and it will be wonderful to have him around again. 

We are so grateful for what Sam has done for biathlon in Craftsbury and are eager to see what the future holds for him. We are looking forward to having Ethan’s expertise in the coming months then adding Michael to the mix next year. 

Mike Gibson leading a kid thru the basics at the singletrack shootout several years ago.