Two Preeceville Harvard Air Cadets did well at the provincial biathlon competition held at Camp SaskCadet at Round Lake on January 20.
Janhia Irelandez and Lezlie Morales each skied to a silver medal in the junior female category.
"Both girls did really well and I am very proud of them both," said Ian Abbott, coach. "They each skied 1.5 kilometres then shot five rounds before continuing to ski another 1,5 kilometres, shooting another five rounds and concluded with skiing another 1.5 kilometres.
“If they missed a target the girls had to do a penalty lap,” he said. “It was a great experience for them."
Cadets who participated were from across the province. Janhia Irelandez’s time for the first day was 45:59 minutes and Lezlie Morales’ time was 57:59 minutes.
The biathlon, for which special skis are used, is a combination of cross-country skiing or running and marksmanship, Abbott explained. It requires tremendous endurance and strength as well as skill and precision.
Unpredictable elements, including weather and wind conditions, make this outdoor sport a fun and rewarding challenge that thousands of cadets participate in each year, he said.
