Local NYSEF Athlete, Van Ledger (Lake Placid) had a busy new year while his brother, Beckett Ledger was jumping in Lake Placid.

Van traveled to Solider Hollow, Utah to train and compete in the Junior Biathlon World Championships and IBU Cup Team Trials. On Friday, December 28 Van placed 11th in the 10KM sprint against the best in his age. When asked Van about his experience in Solider Hollow, he mentioned, “you really saw the full spread of biathletes in the nation…in the east a biathlon race usually has 5-10 athletes in each age group while the trials in Utah had over 30 in your group.”

When asked about final remarks, Van concluded, “it was really great to be able to train in altitude and see how that affected my shooting and heart rate.” Van’s next biathlon race is the NorAm in Jericho, Vermont this February. Great job, Van!

Photo Credit: Todd Westervelt