ICE LAKE—An excellent season has led to local biathlete Mackenzie Turner winning the North American Cup points series over the past year for her age division.
“It’s pretty exciting,” stated Ms. Turner of Ice Lake, this past Sunday. She competed in the age 17-18 division, and explained, “this is specific for Nor-Am races where you can accumulate points in the races over the season and they are tabulated at the end.”
“Yes, considering the start I had this season and everything I had to go through it was a good season,” Ms. Turner told the Recorder.
She capped off her excellent season by placing fourth and fifth as well as third in her individual races at the Canadian Biathlon Championships held in Canmore, Alberta recently. At the Nationals, in one race she finished fifth overall but was fourth among Canadian athletes, and fourth in another race overall, but third in Canada, as well as posting another fourth place Canada finish. “I had good races, and it is pretty exciting to be presented with a Canadian championship medal by winning a bronze in one of the races.”
Mackenzie, who is from Ice Lake, trained with Team Ontario in Quebec this season. The season got off to a very slow start with races slated for Canmore, Alberta being cancelled due to extreme cold. She then went to Valcartier, Quebec where she ended up getting the flu, and despite racing, her results were not as good as she had hoped.
However, Mackenzie then headed to La Patrie, Quebec, where she finished in second place in her two races each day. From there she competed in Chelsea, Quebec where she posted second and third place finishes in her two races.
In Jericho, Vermont, Mackenzie posted two second place finishes in her races, and then in Lake Placid, New York she had a first and third place finish in her two races. It was her first time racing in Lake Placid. From there she took part in races in Val Cartier, Quebec at the Eastern Canadian championships. She had a second and third place showing in her two races.
Mackenzie graduated this past June and is taking online courses so she can keep pursuing her goals. She has been training with a ski coach in Orillia and with the Chelsea, Quebec biathlon team as well.
This was the fourth time Mackenzie has attended the Nationals, having ranked third in Canada in her age group last year.
“I’m going to take a month off and then start training again in May,” Ms. Turner told the Recorder. She explained, “I may move out west or to Ottawa to get more serious training, to move up a step. I’m looking at where my best option is to train with a team instead of on my own.”
