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Tag: Jake Pearson

  • Monday Rundown: IBU Youth Worlds Relays in Osrblie

    Monday Rundown: IBU Youth Worlds Relays in Osrblie

    The Norwegian youth men’s 3 x 7.5 k relay team, with (from left to right) Jørgen Krogsæter, Vebjørn Sørum and Sivert Guttorm Bakken, after winning gold at IBU Youth World Championships on Monday in Osrblie, Slovakia. (Photo: IBU)

    IBU Youth/Junior World Championships (Osrblie, Slovakia): Youth relays

    The Norwegian and Russian youth men’s and women’s youth relays teams took either first or second on Monday in their last race of International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth World Championships in Osrblie, Slovakia, with Russia winning the women’s 3 x 6-kilometer relay and Norway topping the men’s 3 x 7.5 k.

    The Russian youth women’s 3 x 5 k relay team, with (from left to right) Ekaterina Sannikova, Anastasiia Goreeva and Kristina Egorova, after winning gold at IBU Youth World Championships on Monday in Osrblie, Slovakia. (Photo: IBU)

    While Norway’s men’s team of Jørgen Krogsæter, Vebjørn Sørum, and Sivert Guttorm Bakken skied away from the competition for a 54.2-second win in 55:05.4, after using six spare rounds and skiing no penalties, Russia’s women’s team of Ekaterina Sannikova, Anastasiia Goreeva and Kristina Egorova pulled of an 18.3-second win in 59:43.2 despite one penalty and seven spare rounds.

    In the men’s race, Russia took silver with Aleksandr Miakonkii, Ilia Novopashin and Said Karimulla Khalili, with two penalties and nine spares. Belarus achieved bronze with Kiryl Tsiuryn, Ilya Auseyenka and Dmitry Lazouski finishing 1:41.6 out of first with no penalties and eight spares.

    Canada finished 15th (+6:43.8) with Thomas Hulsman, Adam Runnalls and Leo Grandbois combining for three penalties and 12 spares. Grandbois skied them up to 15th after getting tagged in 17th at the final exchange.

    The U.S. men’s team followed in 18th (+8:06.7) with Vasek Cervenka, Jake Pearson and Alex Kilby combining for one penalty and 12 spares. Vasek started them off, tagging in eighth at the first exchange, before the Americans dropped to 16th, then 18th.

    In the youth women’s relay, Norway took second place with Marthe Kråkstad Johansen, Marit Ishol and Mari Wetterhus using a total of just four spares to clean and avoiding the penalty lap. Italy claimed third (+1:04.8) with Samuela Comola, Irene Lardschneider and Martina Vigna combining for one penalty and just four spares as well.

    The U.S. women finished 13th (+4:56.8) with Chloe Levins, Amanda Kautzer and Grace Gilliland having a total of one penalty and 11 spares. After being tagged in 14th, Kautzer skied the team into eighth on the second leg before they slipped to 13th on the final leg.

    Canada finished 17th (+9:39.0) with Frédérique Pérusse, Shilo Rousseau and Anna Sellers combining for three penalties and 11 spares. The team skied up from 20th after the first exchange to 17th by the second exchange, a position they held to the finish.

    IBU Youth/Junior World Championships conclude with the men’s and women’s junior relays on Tuesday.

    Results: Youth men | Youth women

    The Canadian 2017 IBU Youth/Junior World Championships team. (Photo: Bryan Dickson)
  • 20-for-20 with Jake Pearson

    20-for-20 with Jake Pearson

    Jake Pearson (Casper Mountain Biathlon Club) taking aim on the range at Casper Mountain on Feb. 8 in Casper, Wyo. (Photo: Kerrie Pearson)

    In another 20-something-question, fill-in-the-blanks series, we checked in with the world-class U.S. and Canadian biathletes that will be competing at 2017 International Biathlon Union (IBU) Youth & Junior World Championships Feb. 22-28 in Osrblie (also known as Brezno-Osrblie), Slovakia.

    Here’s 18-year-old Jake Pearson, of the Casper Mountain Biathlon Club, who is representing the U.S. at his first Youth Worlds. In two individual races at the championships, he finished 49th in the youth men’s 12.5 k individual and 76th in the 7.5 k sprint.

    ***

    “My full name is Jacob, but you can call me Jake. I was born in Wyoming, raised in Casper, and one thing you should know about my hometown is it’s always windy.

    I started cross-country skiing when I was in 8th grade and started biathlon when I was 15, thanks to Rylie Garner.

    I currently train in Casper with Casper Mountain Biathlon Club.

    If I’m not skiing, you might find me hanging out with friends.

    If I had to pick a favorite book, it would be ‘Shoe Dog’.

    One of the things I’m most excited about for Youth/Junior World Championships in Brezno-Osrblie is the food.

    This will be my first Youth/Junior World Championships, and this year, I’m competing as a youth. One race I’m especially targeting there is the 12.5 k individual.

    The best advice anyone ever gave me about skiing or racing was have fun and relax.

    One of the best race memories I have is having a 2nd place finish in a mass start in Canada.

    If I could meet one World Cup skier, it would be Lowell Bailey.

    If I don’t end up being a professional skier, I’ll probably be a ski bum.

    I’m missing 10 days of school to be here, and my teachers/professors are probably thinking, ‘He is going to fail my class.’

    You can follow me on Instagram @jpears123.”

  • Cervenka Sweeps Youth/Junior Biathlon Trials; 15 Named to U.S. Team

    Cervenka Sweeps Youth/Junior Biathlon Trials; 15 Named to U.S. Team

    "The youth men's sprint podium on Dec. 28 in Jericho was (l to r) Jake Pearson, Vasek Cervenka and Eli Nielsen. Cervenka topped every race at Youth and Junior Biathlon Trials. (Photo: USBA)
    The youth men’s sprint podium on Dec. 28 in Jericho was (l to r) Jake Pearson, Vasek Cervenka and Eli Nielsen. Cervenka topped every race at Youth and Junior Biathlon Trials. (Photo: USBA)

    The United States Biathlon Association (USBA) held three days of youth and junior biathlon trials racing in Jericho, Vermont, January 28-30. At the end of the series, USBA named this year’s team to Youth and Junior World Championships.

    The competitions are slated for February. But the location is pending. The Championships were scheduled to be held in Ostrov, Russia, but the event was stripped from Russia due to allegations of state-sponsored doping and manipulation of anti-doping samples at other competitions previously held in the country.

    Vasek Cervenka of Mount Itasca was the most successful athlete of the week. Cervenka, a youth competitor (under 19), nevertheless topped all men — including the junior racers (under 21). Cameron Christiansen of Nisswa NW finished 20 seconds back, besting the junior men’s field.

    Cervenka then extended his lead in the next day’s pursuit. Cody Johnson of the Outdoor Sports Institute passed Christiansen to finish 31.1 seconds behind Johnson and take the junior win.

    On day three it was back to sprint racing with Cervenka taking another vicotry, this time a 10.9-second win over Travis Cooper of National Guard Biathlon.

    In the opening women’s sprint, Amanda Kautzer of Loppet Nordic Racing took the win. Like Cervenka, Kautzer is a youth but also topped the junior field. Hannah Streinz of the Outdoor Sports Institute placed second (+42.2) and the top junior.

    But in the pursuit fellow youth Chloe Levins of Mountain Top Nordic raced to the front with only two penalties, besting Lexie Madigan of the Auburn Ski Club – who also had just two penalties – by 1:35.4. Nina Armstrong of Harvard College, the top junior, finished +4:54.2 with 11 penalties.

    Then in the last day’s sprint, Madigan topped Levins by 15.5 seconds, with Armstrong again the top junior, +1:24.9.

    USBA also named the athletes for the IBU Junior Cup (January 26-29 in Pokljuka, Slovenia) and the IBU Junior European Championships (February 1-5 in Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic). The women’s team will be Ellingson, Levins, and Kautzer, and Cervenka, Christiansen, Cooper, and Johnson will comprise the men’s team.

    Youth and Junior World Championships team nominations

    (from USBA press release)

    Youth Women
    Chloe Levins (Rutland, Vt./Mountain Top Nordic Ski Club)
    Amanda Kautzer (Plymouth, Minn./Loppet Nordic Racing/Michigan)
    Lexie Madigan* (Truckee, Calif./Auburn Ski Club)
    Grace Gilliland (Eagle River, Alaska/Alaska Biathlon)
    Helen Wilson** (Eagle River, Alaska/Anchorage Biathlon Club)
    *Lexie Madigan is below the age described in the IBU Rules and is awaiting confirmation for her participation.
    **Helen Wilson is named as First Alternate to the team in the event that any member is not able to participate.

    Youth Men
    Vasek Cervenka (Grand Rapids, Minn./Mt. Itasca)
    Jake Pearson (Casper, Wyo./Casper Mountain Biathlon Club)
    Alex Kilby (Anchorage, Alaska/Alaska Winter Stars)
    Eli Nielsen (Stehekin, Wash./Methow Valley Biathlon)

    Junior Women
    Siena Ellingson (Minnetonka, Minn./Loppet Nordic Racing)
    Hannah Streinz (Hersey, Maine/Outdoor Sports Institute)
    Nina Armstrong (Lake Placid, N.Y./Harvard College)

    Junior Men
    Cameron Christiansen (Pequot Lake, Minn./NNW)
    Travis Cooper (Kenai, Alaska/National Guard Biathlon)
    Cody Johnson (Fort Kent, Maine/Outdoor Sports Institute)
    Peter Carroll (Truckee, Calif./Auburn Ski Club Biathlon Team)

    Trials Results

    December 28 – December 29 – December 30