Central Regional Biathlon

Photo By Master Sgt. Lynette Hoke | Travis Northway, a Soldier with the Minnesota Army National Guard, fires his rifle at the 2008 Central Region National Guard Biathalon competition on Jan. 11 and 12 at Camp Ripley, Minn.  

01.11.2008

Story by 2nd Lt. Kenneth Toole 

Minnesota National Guard

The International Biathlon Union Level Course at Camp Ripley, Minn., hosted this year's National Guard Central Regional Biathlon. There were eight states and more than 35 skiers participating in the biathlon.

The biathlon is a sport in which the competitors ski on cross-country skies and carry a .22 caliber rifle to shoot at five targets from 50 meters. The competitors compete against the clock.

The course and the range at Camp Ripley were built just for biathlons. There are several known distance trails in the woods that are paved and the range is set up just for biathlons and the types of rifles and targets that are used.

The Minnesota National Guard's Biathlon Team had eleven skiers competing. The team was made up of both men and women, enlisted and officers, Air and Army National Guard, from across the state.

"We had a real strong showing. We have some real elite skiers," 1st Lt. James Zwiefel, the Minnesota National Guard's Biathlon Team coach. "We took several of the top ten places in today's race."

A great deal of the practice the skiers put in is done on an individual basis but the team does try to get together and do some team skiing. All of the competitions in which the team participates are done on military orders.

Camp Ripley will also be host to this year's National, to be held in March.

• Date Taken: 01.11.2008
• Date Posted: 01.29.2008 17:58
• Story ID: 15907