[GRP Snow]: Week 1 Roundup
The Snow Sprigs went international this past week for their first on-snow competitions of the season. Highlights included a World Cup top 25, first ever World Cup racing starts, multiple SuperTour top-tens, a first IBU Cup pursuit qualification, and local podiums. Stay up to date on upcoming GRP racing with the calendar located at the bottom of the news page.
World Cup Biathlon
Tara in the 15k individual (photo by Bill Brown)
Jake Brown, Kelsey Dickinson, and Tara Geraghty-Moats took on the first World Cup of the year in Kontiolahti, Finland. While Jake skipped the first race due to sickness, Kelsey came out firing (ha!) for her World Cup premier, hitting 18/20 targets and finishing 61st. Tara began her World Cup career with an 87th but followed that up with a 66th in the sprint a few days later. Jake recovered enough to anchor the men’s relay team which placed 11th. Kelsey also skied the anchor leg, securing another 11th place for the women. Jake placed 41st in the following sprint earning him a berth to the pursuit in which he shot 18/20 and moved up to 20th place!
The World Cup now heads to Hochfilzen, Austria for more racing started on December 8th. Watch live (or recordings) on Eurovision.
SuperTour XC
Alex in the skate sprint qualifier (photo by Doug Stephen)
Out in British Columbia, the skiers began the SuperTour with four days of racing over a five day period (these races were combined with Canada’s Nordiq Cup. In the opening classic sprints, Margie Freed and Alex Lawson worked their way through the heats to finish 4th and 7th, respectively. Michaela Keller-Miller placed 22nd and Annika Landis was 33rd. Braden Becker finished in 36th.
Day 2 was a 10k skate mass start. Alex was 8th, Margie 9th, Michaela 20th, and Annika 23rd. Braden placed 18th.
Skate sprints on day 3 saw Braden skiing to 23rd. Alex was 13th, Margie 17th, Annika 20th, and Michaela 25th.
Finally, in the 10k classic interval start, Margie placed 5th, Alex 8th, Annika 14th, and Michaela 21st. Braden was 14th.
The SuperTour heads to Sun Valley for more races also starting December 8th. Results will be posted the event homepage.
IBU Cup Biathlon
Jackie Garso placed an IBU Cup career best 53rd in the first sprint race in Idre, Sweden. That top-60 result earned her a pursuit start in which she maintained her 53rd place. In the following individual race, Jackie placed 76th. She finished up the week of racing with a 64th place in the final sprint competition. Jackie returns to Craftsbury to prepare for the next round of trials.
Biathlon Regional Cup
Luke Brown and Raleigh Goessling raced the first Regional Cup of the year which was hosted at home by the Outdoor Center. A big thanks goes out to the snowmaking and grooming crews and the many volunteers who made this event possible. In Saturday’s sprint event, Luke placed 2nd and Raleigh was 3rd. In the next day’s pursuit, Luke moved up to first with Raleigh maintaining 3rd position. Luke and Raleigh join Jackie in preparing for IBU Cup trails December 15-18.
Luke and Raleigh on the podium after day 2 (photo by Phil Belena)