Junior and youth athletes compete during the trials in Anchorage, Alaska, Dec. 28-31, 2022 (photo by Jocelyn Finch Photography)
(New Gloucester, MAINE) - Twenty-five athletes have been named to represent Team USA at upcoming international events. The selected athletes hail from nine different states and represent 13 different clubs and five schools.
“It's great to see so many athletes have the opportunity to compete at the highest level,” said U.S. Biathlon Director of Athlete Development Tim Burke. “I'm confident this will be a motivating experience for all athletes. We have a great mix of athletes with international racing experience and some newcomers. We look forward to working with everyone to make these trips a valuable learning experience that supports continued growth.”
The US Biathlon International Competition Committee announced the team selections following three days of trials hosted by the Alaska Biathlon Association at Kincaid Park in Anchorage. The trials consisted of two sprint races and one pursuit race for all categories. Full trials results are available HERE.
“I want to thank the Alaska Biathlon Association and the Nordic Ski Association of Anchorage for hosting a great event,” Burke added. “The competitions were well organized, and the conditions were ideal. I also want to thank all the fantastic volunteers for making this event possible.”
The roster includes two athletes, Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, Maine/Paul Smith’s College & NYSEF) and Kaisa Bosek (Alexandria, Minn./Paul Smith’s College), from Paul Smith’s College, the Official Education Partner of US Biathlon.
Eight of the athletes, representing seven different programs, will be competing internationally for the first time in their biathlon careers, a testament to the quality work being done by the many US Biathlon clubs across the country. The eight newcomers are Evelyn Hudrlik (Forest Lake, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon), Elias Soule (Anchorage, Alaska/Anchorage Biathlon Club), Emily Campbell (Park City, Utah/Team Soldier Hollow), Nathaniel Livingood (Bethel, Maine/JXB & Gould Academy), Virginia Cobb (Westford, Vt./Ethan Allen Biathlon Club), Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, Maine/Paul Smith’s College & NYSEF), Grace Castonguay (Jackson, N.H./Team Soldier Hollow) and Van Ledger (Lake Placid, N.Y./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team).
Five of the athletes have previously qualified for senior IBU Cup competition this season. They are Grace Castonguay (Jackson, N.H./Team Soldier Hollow), Maxime Germain (Anchorage, Alaska/National Guard Biathlon), Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, Vt./University of Vermont & USBA), Nikolas Burkhart (Olympic Valley, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team) and Ariana Woods (Bozeman, Mont./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team).
The full rosters of athletes selected for the competitions are listed below:
FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES
Lake Placid, N.Y. – Jan. 14-21
Women
Helen Wilson (Eagle River, Alaska/Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Ariana Woods (Bozeman, Mont./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, Maine/Paul Smith’s College & NYSEF)
Sarah Beaulieu (Fort Fairfield, Maine/Sugar Bowl Ski Team)
Emma Stertz (Grand Rapids, Minn./College of St. Scholastica)
Cheresa Bouley (Zimmerman, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon & Team Birkie)
Men
Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, Vt./University of Vermont & USBA)
Van Ledger (Lake Placid, N.Y./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Cale Woods (Bozeman, Mont./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Nathaniel Livingood Bethel, Maine/(JXB & Gould Academy)
Tim Cobb (Westford, Vt./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Matej Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon)
IBU JUNIOR CUP
Haanja, Estonia - Feb. 8-11
& JUNIOR OPEN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Madona, Latvia – Feb. 15-19
Women
Lina Farra (Heber City, Utah/USBA)
Kaisa Bosek (Alexandria, Minn./Paul Smith’s College)
Helen Wilson (Eagle River, Alaska/Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, Maine/Paul Smith’s College & NYSEF)
*Alexandra Rud (Jar, Norway/Minnesota Biathlon)
Hannah Chipman (Norwich, Vt./Dartmouth College)
FIRST ALTERNATE: Evelyn Hudrlik (Forest Lake, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon)
*declined spot
Men
Etienne Bordes (Tahoe City, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Cale Woods (Bozeman, Mont./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Nikolas Burkhart (Olympic Valley, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Van Ledger (Lake Placid, N.Y./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Thoreson Sheppard (West Yellowstone, Mont./Team Altius & BATC)
IBU YOUTH/JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Shchuchinsk, Kazakhstan – March 4-12
Junior Men
Maxime Germain (Anchorage, Alaska/National Guard Biathlon)
Nikolas Burkhart (Olympic Valley, Calif./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Bjorn Westervelt (Stowe, Vt./University of Vermont & USBA)
Van Ledger (Lake Placid, N.Y./Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Junior Women
Helen Wilson (Eagle River, Alaska/Crosscut Mountain Sports Center Elite Team)
Grace Castonguay (Jackson, N.H./Team Soldier Hollow)
Dolcie Tanguay (Fort Kent, Maine/Paul Smith’s College & NYSEF)
Hannah Chipman (Norwich, Vt./Dartmouth College)
Youth Men
Thoreson Sheppard (West Yellowstone, Mont./Team Altius & BATC)
Nathaniel Livingood (Bethel, Maine/JXB & Gould Academy)
Elias Soule (Anchorage, Alaska/Anchorage Biathlon Club)
Matej Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon)
Youth Women
Alexandra Rud (Jar, Norway/Duluth Biathlon)
Virginia Cobb (Westford, Vt./Ethan Allen Biathlon Club)
Evelyn Hudrlik (Forest Lake, Minn./Minnesota Biathlon)
Emily Campbell (Park City, Utah/Team Soldier Hollow)
