Caledonia biathletes bringing national medals back to Prince George

Four northern BC women had their sights accurately pointed at the medal podium at the Biathlon Canada national championships in Valcartier, Que.

Iona Cadell and Moira Green of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club will be coming home to Prince George with gold in their possession.

The 18-year-old Cadell won the youth women’s 7.5 km pursuit on Monday, finishing the course in 30 minutes 14.9 seconds, just 2.6 seconds ahead of second-place Sage Taylor of Calgary.

Cadell, who competed for Great Britain a week ago at the youth world championships in Oestersund, Sweden, shot 16-for-20 on the range (0+0+1+3), while Taylor also had four just misses (0+0+2+2).

Eighteen-year-old Caledonia biathlete Aliah Turner was just 11.6 seconds off Cadell’s gold medal pace, winning bronze with just five missed shots (2+1+1+1).

Isla Cadell, 16, of Prince George was 11th (+3:46.9, 3+4+3+2) and Payton Sinclair of Caledonia placed 14th (+5:16.5, 0+2+2+1).

In the women’s10 km pursuit, Moira Green of Prince George won gold in the junior women's class.

Green, a 20-year-old Caledonia club member, clocked 35:47.5 and finished 1:23.6 behind senior gold medalist Janice Grundahl of Regina (0+1+1+0), who set the pace in 34:23.9. Green (4+2+0+0) had four misses in her first prone shooting bout but had only two more in her next prone session and shot clean in both standing rounds.

Dickson, 26, representing the Omineca Ski Club, went 15-for-20 on the range (2+0+1+4) and was second in tghe senior women's event, stopping the clock 2:25.7 after Grundahl.

In other local results from the women’s event, Skye Cadell of Prince George placed seventh in the U17 women’s 6 km standing pursuit. Cadell (2+4+3+0) was 4:39.5 behind gold medalist Moira Glassford of Calgary who finished in 33:30.9 (0+0+2+0).

In the men’s 12.5 km pursuit, also in Monday, Liam Simons of Prince George finished sixth out of 37 starters. Simons (3+0+1+0), who competed at the world junior championships in Oestersund, finished 2:32.8 behind Halden Borglund of Calgary, who won gold in 37:34.6 (0+0+2+2). Liam Sinclair of Prince George was 19th (+7:37.8, 2+1+1+1).

In the U17 men’s standing pursuit, Caelen Baine of Calgary won gold in 28:45.1 (1+1+1+1), ahead of three Caledonians from Prince George. Oscar Nelson was seventh (+2:40.5, 2+0+2+2), Nathaneal Dean was eighth (+2:42.6, 1+1+1+2) and David Hillhouse was 34th (+11:23.1, 3+3+3+1).

The races resume Wednesday with mass start events.