Sprague begins Junior ski quest> Silver Star first step to golden goal

Caribou High Nordic star Anna Sprague has spent the month of November training in Silver Star, British Columbia, with her coach from the Maine Winter Sports Center in the hope of making the World Junior Championships this winter.

Three-time Olympian and MWSC Nordic coach Karen Lamberg said Sprague begins her quest today at the 5K Classic Race in the Continental Cup.

“Most of the best skiers in the U.S., Canada will be there in Silver Star,” said Lamberg, now back at the MWSC office in Fort Kent. “There are good conditions. She has a great chance to make the World Juniors. She definitely has the capacity, and with a little luck, she is definitely a person who should be there.”

Sprague also will compete the weekends of Dec. 9-10 and Dec. 16-17 in Quebec.

“These are important races for qualifying for the junior worlds and for [U.S.] Nationals in Idaho at the end of December and first week of January,” Lamberg said.

At least the top four Nordic Skiers ages 19 and under will be chosen for the Junior World Championships in Poland based on their performances this winter, Lamberg said. She added that, while Sprague’s focus is Nordic skiing, she has begun training in the biathlon and may turn to that in an attempt to make the Junior World Biathlon Championships in March.

How well Sprague does this winter will help to determine her chances of making the 2002 Winter Games in Utah.

“I was 19 when I went to my first Olympics,” Lamberg said. “It will depend how she is developing and how racing is going. It is always a part of the dream. You never know what can happen.”

Sprague graduated from Caribou High last spring and was considering Dartmouth, Utah, Vermont and Middlebury. She decided to focus on skiing now, Lamberg said.

MWSC could host World Cup

The International Biathlon Union has asked the MWSC to submit a bid to host a Biathlon World Cup in 2003 and the World Junior Biathlon Championships in 2005.

Biathlon, the Olympic sport that combines Nordic skiing and rifle marksmanship, is a growing sport in Europe.

“The Biathlon World Cup is akin to a stop on the Professional Golfers Association tour,” said MWSC Executive Director Max Saenger. “Our World Cup event would be one of nine that comprise a tour of Scandinavia, Europe and North America.”

The 2003 World Cup will be proposed for MWSC’s venue in Fort Kent and the 2005 World Junior Championships will be proposed for MWSC’s Central Aroostook complex in Presque Isle-Fort Fairfield town line.

The last time Maine hosted a World Cup was in 1971 when an Alpine event was held at Sugarloaf/USA.

“Although we are not assured of winning, I consider our victory already won,” said Carl Theriault, Treasurer of the MWSC Board of Trustees. “The MWSC was established to rekindle skiing as a way of life for Maine citizens, incite youth aspirations, and provide a mechanism for economic development.”

Max Cobb, the United States Biathlon Association program director, agreed.

“Win or lose, it sends a message that Aroostook County is a member of the biathlon family and eager to host a competitions of all levels,” Cobb said.