Youth and Juniors Impress in Jakuszyce

Not only did many of Team USA’s athletes compete in their first international races, but they are youth athletes competing at the junior level. After a week of racing at Youth & Junior Nationals and International Team Trials at Soldier Hollow in December, 10 athletes were named to the IBU Junior Cup roster and competed this past weekend in Jakuszyce, POL. 

"I'm really proud of the team’s efforts this week at the Junior Cup in Poland,” said U.S. Biathlon Director of Athlete Development and IBU Junior Cup Team Leader Tim Burke. “Many of our athletes were competing in their first international biathlon races, going up against competitors up to four years older. Despite the challenge, they held their own and can leave Poland with the confidence that they are ready to compete at the junior level on the international stage.” 

The weekend began with a pair of sprint races; Wes Campbell (Park City, UT/Team Soldier Hollow) led Team USA with his IBU Junior Cup personal best 15th place finish, missing just one shot on the day. Thor Sheppard (West Yellowstone, MT/Team Altius) raced to 44th, Eric Anderson (Frontenac, MN/Bluff Country Biathlon) finished 69th, Nathan Livingood (Bethel, ME/Team Crosscut) in 73rd, and Tristan Thrasher (Steamboat Springs, CO/Team Altius) rounded out the men’s team in 74th. Annelise Baird (Baxter, MN/Minnesota Biathlon) led the women’s team in 50th, missing just two shots on the day. Seven Bowen (Huntington, VT/Ethan Allen Biathlon Club) followed in 57th, Haley Finch (Anchorage, AK/Alaska Winter Stars) in 64th, Brenna Barton (Bozeman, MT/Team Crosscut) just behind in 65, and Megan Lemoine (Palo Alto, CA/Auburn Ski Club) in 68th. 

The mass start 60 saw Campbell top the charts for the U.S. Team for the second time, besting his previous personal best with a ninth place finish in the junior men’s mass start 60, missing just three shots on the day. Sheppard, with six misses, finished in 47th. Baird and Bowen toed the line for the junior women’s mass start 60, finishing 56th and 58th, respectively. 

The final day of racing saw another pair of sprints. Sheppard raced to an IBU Junior Cup personal best 24th, with Campbell right on his heels in 26th. Anderson, Livingood, and Thrasher all bested their previous sprint result in 53rd, 58th, and 71st, respectively. On the women’s side, Bowen had her first top-40 result, finishing 38th with just three misses on the day. Finch followed in 48th, Barton in 60th, and Lemoine in 62nd, all three besting their previous sprint results. Baird rounded out the team with struggles on the range to finish in 72nd. 

Burke added, “Additionally, we saw strong performances from our more experienced athletes, highlighted by Wes’s impressive 9th place finish in the Mass Start 60. We’re all excited and eager to carry this momentum into next week’s Junior Open European Championships!"

The same team of 10 athletes will now travel to Altenberg, GER for the 2025 IBU Junior Open European Championships, slated for January 22-26. The race weekend will consist of two individuals, a mixed relay, single mixed relay, two sprints, and two mass start 60 races. Live race updates can be found on the IBU App, available on Apple and Google Play.