MWSC biathletes tune up for trials

A small group of Maine Winter Sports Center athletes and coaches will head to the Midwest just after Christmas to compete Dec. 28-31 at the U.S. Biathlon Jr. World Championship Trials in Colleraine, Minn.  The athletes will compete in three races over a three-day period with a U.S. Team contingent of up to 16 athletes heading over to compete in Martell, Italy in late January.
    A Junior (ages 19-20) and a Youth (ages 17-18 or younger) Team each consisting of up to four men and four women will be chosen. Four athletes have already pre-qualified off of results from last years Junior World Championships held at Presque Isle’s Nordic Heritage Center. These athletes are Brynden Manbeck and Mark Johnson of Grand Rapids, Minn., Laura Spector of Lennox, Mass., and Wynn Roberts of Baxter, Minn.
Three local athletes are members of past Junior World Championship Teams; they are Russell Currier of Stockholm, Newt Rogers of Fort Kent, and Hilary McNamee of Fort Fairfield.
Currier, also a Junior National Champion and Maine State Champion in Nordic is known for his speed around the tracks; Rogers is known for his ability to put a solid performance together day in and day out;  and McNamee was the rookie last season but has made big strides in both her fitness and shooting accuracy.
Other local athletes competing are Brandan Ostroot of Caribou, Meagan Toussaint of Madawaska, Joey Bard of Woodland, Andrea Mayo of Oxbow, Rose-Mary Williams of Fort Fairfield, and Grace Boutot of Fort Kent.  They will be coached by Gary Colliander and Scott Johnstone.