Six biathletes from the local 861 Silverfox air cadet squadron in Abbotsford returned home with 13 medals, two top unit team awards and Top Junior Male trophy after competing at the National Cadet Biathlon Championship.
The event, held March 2 to 7 in Valcartier, Que., had two individual competitions and two team competitions scheduled.
B.C.’s junior male unit team made up of the Silverfox squadron’s Emmanuel Bussani and Ethan Algra finished second behind Team Quebec.
The pair also finished first in the patrol race in both the open male (12 to 18 years) category and the junior male category, taking two gold medals.
Algra also won an individual gold in the mass start competition and was awarded the Nikki Keddie trophy for the Top Junior Male.
The Algra/Bussani team was awarded Top Junior Male Team as well as Top Open Male Team. Eht
The entire Team BC then received another medal for scoring the second highest aggregate points among the provincial teams. Algra and his teammates Bussani, Thomas Schratz, William Schratz, Ariel Bussani, and Caelen Pennington all came home with silver medals.
Algra then packed his skis and rifle again to head back to Valcartier to join his brother and Canada Winter Games alumni Jarod Algra to represent B.C. along with 14 others at the Canadian Biathlon Nationals from Mar. 13 to 20.
As a 13-year-old, Ethan had raced up to the senior boys (15 and 16 years) category this season in order to be eligible for provincial team consideration.