methownet
bulletin board
events calendar
business directory
weather

best friend
news briefs
historyspot
photospot
wordspot
artspot
archive
home

Follow Us
Facebook youtube

 

news briefs<< back to news briefs

World Championships
Local biathletes to compete

photoKelsey Dickinson, wearing bib number 1, takes the high podium after winning the junior women’s 7.5km sprint event at the Junior/Youth Biathlon Championship USA team trials. Photo courtesy Piotr Bednarski.

Two members of the Methow Valley Biathlon team—Kelsey Dickinson and Paul Everett—have been selected to represent the United States at the upcoming World Youth and Junior Biathlon Championships. They also will represent the U.S. at the Open European Championships later this month.

They were named to both teams after competing in a three-race trial series in Presque Isle, Maine, that ended Dec. 30. “I’m just so proud of the kids for all their hard work,” said Betsy Devin-Smith, who coaches the Methow Valley Biathlon Team. She said they competed in cold, windy “tough conditions. There is so much pressure at these races and they put it all together.”

Dickinson, 20, competes in the junior women’s division while Everett, 17, who lives in Tacoma but races for the valley team, is in the youth men’s division. The races included two sprints and a pursuit.

Dickinson and Everett will compete in the U-26 Open European Championship races to be held Jan. 21-30 at Nove Mesto in the Czech Republic.

Their world championship races will start Feb. 28 in Presque Isle, Maine.

“This is very exciting for me,” said Devin-Smith, who coaches a growing group of young local biathletes. Her son, Casey Smith, who now competes at the senior level, is vying for a slot on the U.S. Olympic Team.

Biathlon combines Nordic skiing and shooting skills.

1/2/2014
Karen West


Comments
Have a comment?