Last Updated: 18.Aug.2015

This past weekend Jericho, VT welcomed over 80 biathletes from the US, Canada, and Sweden to the North American Rollerski Cup. The Craftsbury Green Racing Project and Junior biathlon program was well represented with 4 competitors in the men’s race, 7 in the women’s race, and 2 in the junior category. Competitors battled hot temperatures and hilly courses, but benefitted from the newly repaved range loop at Jericho. These trials races, combined with another set of trials in early October, will help the US Biathlon coaches choose the team for the first World Cups of the season in mid-November.

Saturday’s race was a sprint format individual start with 2 shooting stages, 1 prone and 1 standing. US Biathlon and Craftsbury biathlete Susan Dunklee had the best GRP result of the day, winning the women’s race with clean prone shooting and 2 misses in standing. Also on the podium was Hannah Dreissigacker, who had 1 miss each in prone and standing. Clare Egan placed 8th, while Emily Dreissigacker took 9th just behind her. A trio of first time biathletes from the GRP skiing team, Caitlin Patterson, Kaitlynn Miller, and Heather Mooney, took on their first ever biathlon races and placed 10th, 14th, and 15th, respectively. On the men’s side, Casey Smith had the best shooting of the day, cleaning both stages and placing fourth overall. Mike Gibson used solid shooting (2-1) and fast skiing to take 10th, followed by Alex Howe in 15th and Ethan Dreissigacker in 19th. In the junior races, Craftsbury biathlete Marika Massey-Bierman took 2nd in the Girls 14-16 age category with 4 misses, while Bjorn Westervelt won the Boys 14-16 category.

Sunday’s races brought more excitement with mass start formats for the senior athletes, and pursuit style for the younger competitors. From the beginning of the women’s mass start, Susan Dunklee took control and used strong shooting (5 misses and a clean final standing stage) and equally dominant skiing to take the victory. Hannah Dreissigacker was the next GRP finisher in 4th with 7 misses, and Clare Egan improved on her previous day’s result to take 6th. Emily Dreissigacker had great shooting over the first three stages, but missed a penalty lap in her final stage and received a 2 minute penalty, which relegated her to 10th place. Caitlin Patterson was 11th place in her first biathlon mass start. On the men’s side, Casey Smith again had the top GRP result of the day in 7th, Alex Howe improved on his previous day’s result to take 10th, and Ethan and Mike battled it out, taking 13th and 15th respectively. Following the completion of the senior mass starts, the junior racers completed a pursuit race with the start order based on the result of Saturday’s sprints. Bjorn Westervelt again took the victory in the pursuit for the Boys 14-16, and Marika finished on the podium again with her 3rd place in the Girls 14-16 age class.

Results:
Saturday- Sprint
Sunday- Mass Start/Pursuit