LUZERNE COUNTY, PA (11/8/09) - In the final domestic summer biathlon of 2009, the Pennsylvania Biathlon Club hosted the fourth annual Tri-State Summer Biathlon Championship at the Whitetail Preserve in Luzerne County on Sunday, November 8. The event was a 5 km pursuit format competition. The Pennsylvania team successfully defended the team title they first won last year (after New York captured the first two titles in 2006 and 2007). The Pennsylvania victory was earned with a combination of quality and quantity as that team had the most competitors and also boasted the two individual winners.

  Ann Sick of Millville, Pennsylvania won the women’s race with a strong run and a 45% shooting performance that gave her a 2 minute 14 second victory over Patricia Zerfas of Kensington, Maryland, who shot 40% and was running for the New York Team. The top New Jersey finisher was Christine Rogers of Somersville, New Jersey, who finished in third place, 3 minutes and 23 seconds behind Zerfas with a 55% shooting performance. Seven women competed in the championship.

  Douglas Hoover of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania shot 75% on the range and won the men’s race by 2 minutes and 27 seconds over David Greenberg of New York, New York. Greenberg shot 50% and ran tough to get on the podium. Mark Burnham of State College, Pennsylvania finished third overall. The top finisher for the New Jersey team was Joe Iwan of Garfield, New Jersey, who finished in sixth place, 5 minutes and 59 seconds off the lead. He shot 45%. The men’s championship featured fifteen men.

  Pennsylvania won the meet with a score of 84 points. New York was second with 41 points. New Jersey was third with 23 points.

  In addition to the Tri-State Championship, a novice race was also held. This event was a 4 km sprint with targets set at 25 meters. The women’s race of five people was won by junior Hannah Sick of Millville, Pennsylvania, who shot 90% and won by 47 seconds. The men’s race included sixteen competitors and was also won by a junior: Tyler Angeli of Shickshinny, Pennsylvania who shot 40%. Angelie ran strong to win a very tight race in which Andrew Viscusi of Bensalem, Pennsylvania finished just 16 seconds behind him and Matt McCarthy of Erie, Pensylvania was another 8 seconds back in third.

   All told, 43 athletes completed in this final race of the season.

RESULTS IN PDF

Earlier Biathlon this year