Summer Biathlon National Championships

Day, NY, July 17. The Saratoga Biathlon Club hosted the 2006 Summer Biathlon National Championships and World Championship Trials July 13-16. | Complete Results in PDF format

Deb Nordyke (Day, NY) captured her second national title to go along with the one she earned in 2004.  To win the mass start event, she had to hold off two hard charging competitors in Erin Graham and the defending champion Ann Sick, who finished 14 and 18 seconds behind her, respectively.  Nordyke shot 9 penalties but ran strong to overcome Graham’s impressive 2 penalty shooting performance.  Meanwhile, Sick shot 7 penalties and also ran strong to nearly defend her title from last year.  Ten years after winning the 1996 national title, Tracy Dooley struggled on the range, shooting 11 penalties to finish fourth.

In the men’s race, Doug Hoover (Williamsburg, PA) produced a 4 penalty shooting performance to lead the men’s field by 29 seconds.  This was Hoover’s first national title after six previous top-ten finishes.  Hoover was followed 29seconds later by Russ Skelton (Kalispell, MT) and five-time national champion Erich Wilbrecht (Jackson, WY) 4 seconds behind Skelton.  Hoover, Skelton, and Wilbrecht shot penalties of 4, 5, and 10, respectively.  They were followed by Pat Bragassa (Rigby, ID) in fourth.

In subsequent races, Nordyke and Hoover each sealed their first World Championship Trials overall titles by repeating as the Sprint race champions. However, in the final race, the pursuit format event, neither was able to sweep as Dooley captured the women’s pursuit and Skelton captured the men’s pursuit. Skelton had finished second in each of the first two men’s races.

Four women were nominated to the World Championship Team:
Athlete        Score
1 Nordyke, Deb     102.59
2 Dooley, Tracy     101.02
3 Sick, Ann     98.58
4 Graham, Erin     97.55

Five men and two alternates were nominated to the World Championship Team:
Athlete            Score
1 Hoover, Douglas     102.008
2 Skelton, Russ         100.350
3 Bragassa, Pat         99.180
4 Wilbrecht, Erich     98.774
5 Deninger, Nikolai     96.092 (junior)
6 Woodward, Keith     94.402 (alternate)
7 Hettenbaugh, Jason     91.544 (alternate)

Attached to this email is a PDF file, which includes complete results of the
event.

If you were at the event and took photos, you are asked to submit them to be combined onto one cd.  If you are willing to share your photos, please send a cd with the photos to:
Tom Moffett
231 Mannix Road
Peru   NY   12972
Everyone who contributes will receive a free cd.  Otherwise they will be
available for purchase in early August on the Saratoga Biathlon website. The deadline for sending pictures is July 31, 2006. Please do not email photos.

The 2006 Summer Biathlon series continues this week with races in Jericho (VT), Nescopeck (PA), and Tukwila (WA).  The remainder of the 2006 Summer Biathlon schedule is included below:

2006 SUMMER BIATHLON SCHEDULE

7/20, Jericho, VT
Tom Lane
802-324-7098
[email protected]

7/22, Nescopeck, PA
Frank Gaval
570-788-4219
[email protected]

7/22, Tukwila, WA
Jay Bender
509-763-2626
[email protected]
http://www.wabiathlon.org/schedules/2006summersched.htm

7/30, Vernon, NJ
Chris Rogers
908-722-9327
[email protected]
http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/biathlon/index.html

8/12, Tukwila, WA
Jay Bender
509-763-2626
[email protected]
http://www.wabiathlon.org/schedules/2006summersched.htm

8/19, Rouseville, PA
John Sims
814-354-2802
[email protected]

9/2 - 9/3, Camp Williams, Utah
Craig Johnson
801-536-6789
[email protected]

9/9, Yakima, WA
Joe Stuhley
[email protected]
http://www.wabiathlon.org/schedules/2006summersched.htm

9/10, Vernon, NJ
Chris Rogers
908-722-9327
[email protected]
http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/biathlon/index.html

9/4 to 9/10, Ufa, Russia
IBU World Championships
www.biathlon-ufa.ru

10/7 to 10/8, Syracuse, NY  -  NY-PA-NJ FALL FESTIVAL / CHAMPIONSHIP
Russ Myer
315-469-0785
[email protected]
http://www.syracusebiathlon.com/

10/14, Saratoga, NY
Individual Relay Format
Jim Schreiner, Phone:  (518) 696-3961
Tom Moffett, E-Mail:  [email protected]
http://www.saratogabiathlon.20m.com/index.html

The United States Biathlon Association is the National Governing Body for the sport of Biathlon in the United States as recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the International Biathlon Union. The US Biathlon Association supports the US Biathlon Team and development of the sport on all levels within the United States.