BIATHLON: Dunklee sweeps U.S. Nationals with three wins in three days

U.S. Biathlon Olympian and World Championships medalist Susan Dunklee

This wasn’t the best season for American Olympian and 2017 World Championships medalist Susan Dunklee.

Her best World Cup finish was a seventh in a Pursuit, her only top-10 finish. But at the U.S. Biathlon Nationals, she looked like the Dunklee of old with wins in the Sprint, Pursuit and Super Sprint, at the Ethan Allen Biathlon Club in Jericho, Vermont.

A Vermont native, she took the Sprint on Friday, finishing just 0.3 ahead of Clare Egan, who had the best World Cup season by an American, including a bronze medal. That was the only race that was close, as Dunklee won the 10 km Pursuit by more than six seconds over Hallie Grossman and the Super Sprint by almost 14 seconds over Egan.

Almost as good was Sean Doherty in the men’s events. Also the best U.S. performer in the IBU World Cup season, with a best of 10th place, he won the 12.5 km Pursuit by 17.0 seconds on Saturday and the Super Sprint by 26.1 seconds on Sunday. He was second to Jake Brown in the Friday 10 km Sprint, missing a third gold by less than six seconds, even though he had fewer penalties.

The North American Championships were held in conjunction with the Canadian nationals in Whistler, with Canada sweeping all of the event. Summaries:

USA Biathlon National Championships
Jericho, Vermont (USA) ~ 26-31 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men

10 km Sprint: 1. Jake Brown, 26:55.6 (2 penalties); 2. Sean Doherty, 27:01.3 (1); 3. Leif Nordgren, 27:08.6 (1); 4. Max Durtschi, 27:22.6 (2); 5. Alexander Howe, 28:04.6 (3); 6. Cody Johnson, 28:16.2 (0); 7. Jakob Ellingson, 29:13.6 (5); 8. Raleigh Goessling, 29:18.8 (3).

12.5 km Pursuit: 1. Doherty, 34:24.9 (6); 2. Brown, 34:41.9 (4); 3. Durtschi, 36:01.4 (7); 4. Johnson, 37:50.9 (4); 5. Howe, 38:26.8 (7); 6. Travis Cooper, 40:09.3 (8); 7. Ellingson, 40:30.0 (11); 8. Goessling, 40:38.9 (7).

5 km Super Sprint: 1. Doherty, 14:47.6 (3); 2. Johnson, 15:13.7 (2); 3. Cooper, 15:15.1 (3); 4. Ellingson, 15:18.9 (1); 5. Wynn Roberts, 15:48.2 (0); 6. Brown, 15:50.8 (4); 7. Howe, 15:51.5 (5); 8. Durtschi, 15:51.7 (4).

Women

7.5 km Sprint: 1. Susan Dunklee, 23:10.3 (3); 2. Clare Egan, 23:10.6 (1); 3. Kelsey Dickinson, 24:27.3 (1); 4. Joanne Reid, 24:56.6 (3); 5. Hallie Grossman, 24:56.9 (2); 6. Emily Dreissigacker, 25:24.1 (3); 7. Deedra Irwin, 25:42.7 (4); 8. Siena Ellingson, 26:11.0 (1).

10 km Pursuit: 1. Dunklee, 34:38.7 (7); 2. Grossman, 38:45.3 (6); 3. Dickinson, 39:19.7 (7); 4. Irwin, 40:12.6 (7); 5. Dreissigacker, 40:40.0 (11); 6. Ellingson, 44:59.5 (9); 7. Maddie Phaneuf, 45:42.2 (6); 8. Mikayla Maier, 46:20.4 (11).

5 km Super Sprint: 1. Dunklee, 16:08.1 (3); 2. Egan, 16:22.0 (0); 3. Dreissigacker, 16:51.5 (1); 4. Dickinson, 17:31.2 (2); 5. Kelly Kjorlien, 18:03.3 (1); 6. Phaenuf, 18:22.9 (3); 7. Ellingson, 19:05.1 (1); 8. Irwin, 19:48.0 (9).

North American & Canadian Biathlon Championships
Whistler (CAN) ~ 26-31 March 2019
(Full results here)

Men

10 km Sprint: 1. Nathan Smith (CAN), 25:44.7 (1); 2. Scott Gow (CAN), 26:04.3 (4); 3. Christian Gow (CAN), 26:42.6 (4).

15 km Individual: 1. C. Gow (CAN), 37:38.7 (1); 2. N. Smith (CAN), 37:45.5 (1); 3. Brendan Green (CAN), 38:15.2 (1).

12.5 km Pursuit: 1. C. Gow (CAN), 29:33.2 (1); 2. S. Gow (CAN), +7.3 (2); 3. N. Smith (CAN), +20.4 (2).

Women

7.5 km Sprint: 1. Sarah Beaudry (CAN), 19:50.2 (2); 2. Emma Lunder (CAN), 19:59.2 (2); 3. Megan Bankes (CAN), 20:00.4 (1).

12.5 km Individual: 1. Nadia Moser (CAN), 35:16.1 (2); 2. Bankes (CAN), 37:42.0 (5); 3. Lunder (CAN), 37:59.3 (6).

10 km Pursuit: 1. Beaudry (CAN), 27:05.1 (2); 2. Bankes (CAN), +59.5 (4); 3. Lunder (CAN), +1:52.2 (6).