4th Annual Summer Biathlon at the Altoona Rifle and Pistol Club: July 17, 2004
by Race Director Doug Hoover

62 athletes competed in the 4th Annual Summer Biathlon at the Altoona Rifle and Pistol Club on Saturday.  This event, which combines cross country running and rifle marksmanship, attracted a mix of experienced biathletes and well as novice competitors from Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Maine, and Ohio. 37 of our this year's participants were first-time competitors in this event and 17 were back for their second appearance.  There were six individuals who have now competed in three Summer Biathlon races at Altoona:  John and Brenda Donoughe, Jack and Karen Hazenstab, Richard Merritts, and Frank Gaval. Finally, two individuals have now completed all four of our races:  Jan Miles of State College and Ed O'Rourke of New Jersey (a Tyrone native).  Thanks to all of you.

Neal Trump of Lancaster had a huge day as he won the overall title and shattered the men's junior record by over a minute as he hit nine out of ten targets and ran to a final time of 17:11.  This was a 69 second improvement over last year for Trump.  With this effort Trump became the fourth fastest man ever on the course, behind Doug Hoover of Williamsburg, Danny Fink of Virginia, and Erik Scott of State College.   Ben Niebel of State College improved on his third place finish last year and also improved his time by 36 seconds as he turned the course in 17:42 to finish second overall and also become the second fastest man ever in the 20-29 age group.  Competing in his first biathlon Michael Vella of Hollidaysburg rounded out the top three overall as he hit just two targets but ran strong to finish in 19:03 and become the fourth fastest man ever in the 20-29 age group.   Ohio's Paul Harkins finished fourth overall and tied the 40-49 age group record hitting nine targets and finishing in 19:44. Newcomers Brandon Bear and Pedro Andia tied for fifth overall, while second-year competitor Luke Seckar took seventh.  Dan Ogg of Virginia became the fourth fastest man ever in the 40-49 age group as he finished eighth overall. Michael Judd and Robert Naulty rounded out the top ten.  It was a record setting day in the men's 60+ age group competition as Stephen Novak of Ohio broke the four year old age group record and Ed O'Rourke also surpassed the previous record. Thomas Schetting became the fifth fastest man ever in that age group.

Sonja Hinish of Williamsburg repeated as women's champion as she shot clean and ran to a time of 19:20, missing her own course record from last year by 27 seconds.  Everett's Stephanie Blackstone had the fastest run of the day but could not match Hinish on the shooting range as she finished second in 21:24.  This made Blackstone the third fastest woman ever on this course, behind Hinish and Lucie Bergeyova, a former member of the Czech National Team who won this race previously in 1999 and 2000.  Cassie Niebel of State College joined her bother as a top three finisher as she improved her time from last year by over three and a half minutes, finishing in 23:16 and becoming the 7th fastest woman ever on this course..  Those three led a strong contingent of junior women who finished in the top seven spots.  Finishing in the next four spots were Lauren Gates of Altoona, Nikkole Imler of Altoona, Anna Kobb of Woodward, and Emily Rose of Altoona.  Imler became the tenth fastest woman ever at this race. Masters recordholder Julianne Daley of Maine repeated as masters champion and finished eighth overall.  Former Penn State Altoona Cross Country standout Jenn Detweiler finished in ninth and the youngest women's competitor, Olivia Biddle of Williamsburg, rounded out the top ten.  Jeanice Naulty finished eleventh overall and became the 2nd fastest woman ever in the 40-49 age group.

Below is the overall order of finish:

Place,  Name,               Raw Time, Prone Hits, Standing Hits, Final Time
 1      Trump, Neal             20.26       5           4           17.11
 2      Niebel, Benjamin        19.27       1           3           17.42
 3      Vella, Michael          19.48       1           1           19.03
 4      Hinish, Sonja*          23.05       5           5           19.20
 5      Harkins, Paul           22.59       5           4           19.44
 6      Andia, Pedro            22.08       2           3           20.08
 6      Bear, Brandon           21.53       1           3           20.08
 8      Seckar, Luke            22.38       2           3           20.38
 9      Ogg, Dan                23.29       5           3           20.44
10      Michael, Judd           22.20       3           1           21.05
11      Naulty, Robert          23.25       5           2           21.10
12      Ricke Jr, Ray           23.21       4           2           21.21
13      Blackstone, Stephanie*  22.54       2           2           21.24
13      Connor, Jack            24.39       5           4           21.24
15      Creedon, Robert         25.00       5           3           22.15
16      Dixon, Matt             24.00       2           2           22.30
17      Trump, Jason            24.38       4           2           22.38
18      Donoughe, John          26.00       4           4           23.00
19      Baier III, Norbert J.   24.46       3           2           23.01
20      Merritts, Richard       25.38       4           3           23.08
21      Niebel, Cassie*         24.16       4           0           23.16
22      Gates, Lauren*          24.57       4           1           23.27
23      Leitzel, Karl           26.46       5           4           23.31
24      Lago, Ben               25.22       4           1           23.52
25      Imler, Nikkole*         25.24       4           1           23.54
26      Kobb, Anna*             25.41       4           1           24.11
27      Hazenstab, Jack         26.59       5           3           24.14
28      Scott, Mike             26.44       5           2           24.29
29      Fischer, Christopher    25.53       4           0           24.53
30      Rose, Emliy*            25.53       3           0           25.08
31      Daley, Julianne*        27.02       5           1           25.17
32      Detweiler, Jennifer*    26.42       1           2           25.27
33      Biddle, Olivia*         26.59       3           1           25.44
34      Gaval, Frank            29.21       4           5           25.51
35      Naulty, Jeanice*        28.41       5           3           25.56
36      Stewart, John           27.19       3           1           26.04
37      Kupferer, David         28.38       5           2           26.23
38      Roberts, Casey*         28.39       2           3           26.39
39      DeSousa, Jack           29.55       5           4           26.40
40      Luna, Gregory           27.43       2           1           26.43
41      Kyle, Myron             29.09       3           2           27.24
42      Dupuis, Paul            29.33       4           2           27.33
43      Taylor, James           28.49       3           1           27.34
44      Boyer, John             29.57       5           2           27.42
45      Granlund, Eric          29.47       4           2           27.47
46      Novak, Stephen          29.49       4           0           28.49
47      O'Rourke, Ed            30.45       5           1           29.00
48      Conrad, Jess*           31.22       2           3           29.22
49      Toomey, Kasey           30.42       1           1           29.57
50      Fether, Eric            32.56       3           3           30.41
51      Kilheffer, Jim          32.11       2           2           30.41
52      Fether, Emily*          31.59       3           1           30.44
53      Donoughe, Brenda*       32.26       2           2           30.56
54      Rose, Jerry             31.16       0           0           31.16
55      Walters, Kevin          33.17       4           0           32.17
56      Reese, Erica*           32.48       1           0           32.33
57      Hazenstab, Karen*       33.44       2           0           33.14
58      Schettig, Thomas        36.11       3           4           33.26
59      Novak, Richard          36.01       5           2           33.46
60      Ricke, Holly*           34.56       0           2           33.56
61      Harshman, William       35.29       4           0           34.29
62      Miles, Jan*             37.41       2           2           36.11

DNS     Dodson, Roger
DNS     Hanlon, Bill
DNS     Landis Jr, William
DNS     Litsinger, Kerry
DNS     Manfred, Matt
DNS     Partner, Amanda
DNF     Romani, Chasey


Here are the age group results:

WOMEN OVERALL
 1  Hinish, Sonja           23.05       5           5           19.20
 2  Blackstone, Stephanie   22.54       2           2           21.24
 3  Niebel, Cassie          24.16       4           0           23.16
               
WOMEN 14-19
 1  Gates, Lauren           24.57       4           1           23.27
 2  Imler, Nikkole          25.24       4           1           23.54
 3  Kobb, Anna              25.41       4           1           24.11
 4  Rose, Emliy             25.53       3           0           25.08
 5  Biddle, Olivia          26.59       3           1           25.44
 6  Conrad, Jess            31.22       2           3           29.22
 7  Fether, Emily           31.59       3           1           30.44

WOMEN 20-29
 1  Detweiler, Jennifer     26.42       1           2           25.27
 2  Roberts, Casey          28.39       2           3           26.39
 3  Reese, Erica            32.48       1           0           32.33

WOMEN 30-39
 1  Donoughe, Brenda        32.26       2           2           30.56
 2  Ricke, Holly            34.56       0           2           33.56

WOMEN 40-49
 1  Daley, Julianne         27.02       5           1           25.17
 2  Naulty, Jeanice         28.41       5           3           25.56

WOMEN 50-59
 1  Hazenstab, Karen        33.44       2           0           33.14
 2  Miles, Jan              37.41       2           2           36.11

WOMEN 60+
 No Entries

MEN OVERALL
 1  Trump, Neal             20.26       5           4           17.11
 2  Niebel, Benjamin        19.27       1           3           17.42
 3  Vella, Michael          19.48       1           1           19.03

MEN 14-19
 1  Bear, Brandon           21.53       1           3           20.08
 2  Trump, Jason            24.38       4           2           22.38
 3  Baier III, Norbert J.   24.46       3           2           23.01
 4  Merritts, Richard       25.38       4           3           23.08
 5  Scott, Mike             26.44       5           2           24.29
 6  Fischer, Christopher    25.53       4           0           24.53
 7  Toomey, Kasey           30.42       1           1           29.57
       
MEN 20-29
 1  Andia, Pedro            22.08       2           3           20.08
 2  Seckar, Luke            22.38       2           3           20.38
 3  Lago, Ben               25.22       4           1           23.52
 4  Kupferer, David         28.38       5           2           26.23
                   
MEN 30-39
 1  Dixon, Matt             24.00       2           2           22.30
 2  Luna, Gregory           27.43       2           1           26.43
 3  Kyle, Myron             29.09       3           2           27.24
 4  Dupuis, Paul            29.33       4           2           27.33
 5  Taylor, James           28.49       3           1           27.34

MEN 40-49
 1  Harkins, Paul           22.59       5           4           19.44
 2  Ogg, Dan                23.29       5           3           20.44
 3  Michael, Judd           22.20       3           1           21.05
 4  Naulty, Robert          23.25       5           2           21.10
 5  Ricke Jr, Ray           23.21       4           2           21.21
 6  Connor, Jack            24.39       5           4           21.24
 7  Creedon, Robert         25.00       5           3           22.15
 8  Donoughe, John          26.00       4           4           23.00
 9  Leitzel, Karl           26.46       5           4           23.31
10  Stewart, John           27.19       3           1           26.04
11  Boyer, John             29.57       5           2           27.42
12  Granlund, Eric          29.47       4           2           27.47
13  Rose, Jerry             31.16       0           0           31.16
14  Walters, Kevin          33.17       4           0           32.17

MEN 50-59
 1  Hazenstab, Jack         26.59       5           3           24.14
 2  Gaval, Frank            29.21       4           5           25.51
 3  DeSousa, Jack           29.55       5           4           26.40
 4  Fether, Eric            32.56       3           3           30.41
 5  Kilheffer, Jim          32.11       2           2           30.41
 6  Novak, Richard          36.01       5           2           33.46
 7  Harshman, William       35.29       4           0           34.29

MEN 60+
 1  Novak, Stephen          29.49       4           0           28.49
 2  O'Rourke, Ed            30.45       5           1           29.00
 3  Schettig, Thomas        36.11       3           4           33.26



Return to NVRC Home Page