BNSC support of local biathlon athletes: The BNSC supports young athletes in a local biathlon program and those pursuing USSA level competitions with grants to athletes for national/international competitions outside of the state to defray travel costs, and volunteers for races.
Overview: The Olympic sport of Biathlon combines Nordic skiing and rifle marksmanship using 0.22 caliber match grade rifles carried while skiing. Minnesota Biathlon is the State branch of the US Olympic Governing Body, the US Biathlon Association [USBA]. Our local Club, Nisswa NW Biathlon [NNW] is a member club of both MNBiathlon and USBA. We have been advancing the sport of Biathlon locally for the past 20 some years.
Nisswa NW currently maintains two 50 meter biathlon ranges in the area, one in Nisswa with 2km of groomed trails and one just to the east of Nisswa that allows roller skiing in the snowfree months.
BNSC has supported the athletes with grants to assist in travel expenses, and many active members of BNSC have or have had teenagers in the program or have participated themselves. Rifles are available for annual lease from Minnesota Biathlon for Youth and Juniors.
Our program consists of year-round training with the total annual hours of actual training time being between 400 and 650 hours annually. The methodology used starts each year beginning in April with strength work primarily using free weights and plyometrics; includes many hours running, biking and roller skiing, as much ski time on snow as we can get, rifle accuracy, range procedure, and combined training. During competition athletes have to maintain intense skiing on a leg of hilly terrain [1.5 to 4 km] then shoot quickly and accurately getting off 5 shots in 35 to 45 seconds. Then repeat for a total of 2 or 4 shooting sessions and 3 or 5 ski legs. Penalty loops of 150 meters are required for each missed shot.
We frequently travel to other venues across the lower US and Alaska for training and racing; along with British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec in Canada. Locally, in 1999 Jaime Mueller of Brainerd was named to the US team to the World University Games team in the Czech Republic and Baxter athlete, Justin Tyner was named to the US Team to Jr Worlds in Italy in 2007. Several others affiliated with NNW from nearby communities have also been named over the years, Raleigh Goessling of Esko, Ellen Anderson of Ely, Jake Dahlberg of Ely, and Wynn and Conrad Roberts of Battle Lake. Wynn went on to become an Olympian in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
Nisswa NW currently maintains two 50 meter biathlon ranges in the area, one in Nisswa with 2km of groomed trails and one just to the east of Nisswa that allows roller skiing in the snowfree months.
BNSC has supported the athletes with grants to assist in travel expenses, and many active members of BNSC have or have had teenagers in the program or have participated themselves. Rifles are available for annual lease from Minnesota Biathlon for Youth and Juniors.
Our program consists of year-round training with the total annual hours of actual training time being between 400 and 650 hours annually. The methodology used starts each year beginning in April with strength work primarily using free weights and plyometrics; includes many hours running, biking and roller skiing, as much ski time on snow as we can get, rifle accuracy, range procedure, and combined training. During competition athletes have to maintain intense skiing on a leg of hilly terrain [1.5 to 4 km] then shoot quickly and accurately getting off 5 shots in 35 to 45 seconds. Then repeat for a total of 2 or 4 shooting sessions and 3 or 5 ski legs. Penalty loops of 150 meters are required for each missed shot.
We frequently travel to other venues across the lower US and Alaska for training and racing; along with British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec in Canada. Locally, in 1999 Jaime Mueller of Brainerd was named to the US team to the World University Games team in the Czech Republic and Baxter athlete, Justin Tyner was named to the US Team to Jr Worlds in Italy in 2007. Several others affiliated with NNW from nearby communities have also been named over the years, Raleigh Goessling of Esko, Ellen Anderson of Ely, Jake Dahlberg of Ely, and Wynn and Conrad Roberts of Battle Lake. Wynn went on to become an Olympian in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.