photo by Eric Hanson
Margie Freed, a Craftsbury Green Racing Project skier and biathlete, shoots in the prone position at U.S. trials last winter. Freed placed 32nd in a World Cup race in Utah three weeks ago.
U.S. Biathlon Championships in Northern Maine
FORT KENT, Maine – After all the biathlon World Cups were done for the season, the U.S. skiers returned home and had one final racing weekend with other aspiring biathletes.
Jake Brown of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project (GRP) jumped to the front in the opening 7.5 km sprint with fast skiing and not great shooting (missing 4 of 10 shots), but it was enough. Brown had a solid end of the season on the World Cup skiing to 46th in the sprint at Soldier Hollow in Utah and a 36th in Canmore, Alberta. And even better, he anchored the men’s team to a 4th-place finish in the relay. The final two World Cup weekends were held in North America.
At Soldier Hollow, GRP skier and biathlete, Margie Freed, did more than expected having a 32nd place finish as novice World Cup skier. She barely shot all winter as she’s been focused on pure skiing. She has the ski speed having led the SuperTour standings in cross country skiing mid-winter and earning World Cup ski starts. She has just started learning shooting over the past two summers, but very part-time.
Back up at Fort Kent, Bjorn Westervelt skied and shot to 5th places in the sprint and pursuit, Luke Brown finished 6th both days, and Tim Cunningham had a pair of 8ths. All train with the GRP, along with Jackie Gorso who finished 3rd on both days in the women’s races.
photo by Eric Hanson
Aemilia Terrone (No. 1), a junior skier with the Craftsbury Ski Club, exits the range at U.S. trials last winter. Aemilia had a 2nd place this past weekend at the U.S. Biathlon championships in her age class.
U.S. biathlete standout, Deedra Irwin (Wisconsin), won both individual events by large margin. Deedra had a few top 10s and several top 20s on the World Cup this past season.
A large crew of Craftsbury Ski Club (CSC) junior skiers made the trek to northern Maine. They have been training in biathlon two to three times per week, often under the lights after their ski practices.
In the Youth Women division, Tillie Lange’s best result was 2nd in the sprint and Claire Pritchard had a 9th. In the Under 13/15 (U13/15) group, most of the skiers were from Craftsbury with Adele Pritchard winning, Aemelie Terrone 2, Lillian Suddaby 4, Hazel Morton-Lynch 5, Elizabeth Searles 6, Amalie Pratt 7, and Althea Veve 8. Bowman Suddaby won the boys 13/15 block division. Hugh Pritchard led the Veteran Men in first.
Craftsbury Skiers at SuperTour Spring Series
DULUTH, Minn. – The GRP skiers headed to Lake Superior for the final series of races this season.
Margie Freed traded her rifle back in for her poles and had a 9th in the sprint and a 4th in the 10 km classic.
Alex Lawson placed 12th in the sprint and 7th in the classic race.
Joe Lynch and John Schwinghammer placed 24th and 27th in the sprint. For Lynch and Schwinghammer, this is their first season with the GRP.
Michaela Keller-Miller had a 14th and 16th, and making her comeback from a knee injury, and CSC skier, Quincy Massey-Bierman skied to 16th in the spring. Massey-Bierman had been sidelined this winter from skiing for Middlebury College.
In the men’s 10 km classic race, Braden Becker skied to 18th and CSC/UVM skier Finn Sweet had a 24th. Sweet was a Craftsbury Academy graduate.
The final race is the U.S. Championship Distance Race which took place after this writing.
