FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Piotr Bednarski
www.loppet.org

February 18, 2015

Minnesota Biathletes Race at World Junior Championships

LNR biathletes Siena Ellingson and Amanda Kautzer had great races on the first day of competition at the World Junior Biathlon Championships in Minsk, Belarus.
The Youth Women's Individual 10km has four shooting stages (20 shots)  with 1 minute penalties per miss, so this format has the highest penalty for shooting of all the biathlon events.    Now at her 2nd time at World Juniors, Siena Ellingson had the top results for the U.S. women, finishing 30th (5:16 out) with 5 penalties - this was a really good result as the winner, Anna Kryvonos UKR, had only one penalty - 1 minute addition.   Amanda Kautzer had a great finish for a World Juniors rookie with the 2nd best placing for the US Women, 54th place out of 84 starters.   Amanda had 8 penalties and finished 8:16 out of first == like Siena, she had a very good skiing result.   Chloe Levins, Rutland VT, finished 55th, and Hannah Strienz, MWSC, finished 70th.   Siena and Amanda divide their training time over the year with Mt Itasca Biathlon Club (coaches Vladimir and Petra Cervenka) and Loppet Nordic Racing in Minneapolis.

In the Youth Men's 12.5km Individual, Paul Everett of Seattle, WA, finished 35th with 5 penalties (4:39 out), and Cam Christiansen of Nisswa, MN placed 51st with 5 penalties (6;35 out).   Cam Christiansen trains with Nisswa NW Biathlon Club and coach Bill Meyer. 

Jakob Ellingson will be racing the Junior Men's 15km Individual tomorrow, Thursday, and then then the Youth Competitors will back at it with the 6km and 7.5km Sprint Competitions on Friday.

Complete results here: World Junior Biathlon Results