JERICHO, Vt. — The United States Biathlon Association’s national championships were held March 24-26 and some Outdoor Sports Institute team members from Aroostook County had podium finishes.
In all, the group’s haul included six gold and four bronze medals.
Sprint races opened the competition Friday. Russell Currier of Stockholm, a member of the 2014 Olympic team, placed first for men at 28 minutes and 36.3 seconds. He was third in the pursuit race held Saturday with a 33:59.7 clocking and in Sunday’s mass start, came in at 39:50.8, good for fourth overall.
Photo credit/Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports – Russell Currier, shown competing in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, had a strong showing in the United States Biathlon Association national championships held over the weekend in Jericho, Vt. The Stockholm native won the March 24 sprint race and followed that up with a third-place in the pursuit and a fourth in the mass start event.
Cody Johnson of Fort Kent competed in the junior men’s division against two others. He swept the three events as he was the first-place finisher in the sprint race at 33:04.5, the pursuit at 35:31.7 and the mass start at 38:30.
Hannah Streinz of Hersey skiied in the junior women’s field. She came in at 30:17 as the only competitor in the sprints. In the pursuit, she went against one other racer and prevailed in 40:17.7, while she was in the women’s field for the mass start, against 2014 Olympian Susan Dunklee and others, and came in ninth in 43:53.9.
Sarah Beaulieu of Fort Fairfield competed in the youth women’s division. Her time in the sprint was 27:52.8, placing her sixth in the standings. Her pursuit time of 31:15.5 also put her sixth. For the mass start, she came in seventh in 34:20.5.
For senior girls, Presque Isle’s Isabelle Jackson was third in all of her events — the sprints at 29:26.2, the pursuit at 35:11.9 and the mass start at 36:00.
The team’s coach is Seth Hubbard.
