AUBURN SKI CLUB ATHLETE NAMED TO BIATHLON YOUTH/WORLD JUNIOR TEAM
The United States Biathlon Association International Competition Committee (ICC) has named Auburn Ski Club Biathlete and Sugar Bowl Academy Nordic Skier, Sam Zabell to the Youth/Junior World Championship Biathlon Team.
Sam, is 17 from Truckee, CA and will be a member of the four-person youth (under 19) team competing in Minsk-Raubichi, Belarus in the Youth World Championships February 17-24, 2015. Sam qualified for the team by placing 4th, 3rd and 4th respectively in the three race US youth/junior trials held December 27-30, 2014 at the Mt. Itasca biathlon venue in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.
According to the organizers and biathlon coaches from across the U.S., this was the largest and most competitive field of youth biathletes ever to compete in the trials. Sam, who trains and races as a cross-country skier with Sugar Bowl Academy, has trained biathlon year-round for the past 3-years with the Auburn Ski Club Training Center team. According to Sam’s coach, Olympic biathlete Glenn Jobe, “It was really exciting to see how well and consistent Sam both skied and shot in all three races in some very difficult conditions with temperatures between 10 to -3 degrees F for each race.
Being named to this team, he now has the opportunity to race in Europe at the highest level of youth biathlon competition.” Sam was joined at the trials by teammate Peter Carroll who also had very good races in his 2nd year of biathlon competition. The ASC biathlon program has seen great results this year, after only three years of a year-round training program; Sam was named to the youth/junior World Championship Team, and ASC senior biathlete Patrick Johnson was named to the USBA Development Team.
To learn more about the ASC Training Center Biathlon program and Sam visit the ASC Training Center website. The Auburn Ski Club Biathlon Program is open to all athletes ages 10 and up, and they have both winter and summer programs available. With Olympic and World Cup biathletes on staff the ASC Training center has established itself as a national class biathlon and cross-country training and racing venue.
ASC is proud to be hosting the 2015 USBA Biathlon National Championships, March 19-22 and the 2015 USSA Cross-Country Junior National Championships March 7-14th. Both of these events will bring the best biathlon and Nordic skiers in the country to the ASC Training Center.
Photographs by Dave Eastwood and he has given permission to print them.
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