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SAULT STE MARIE: Four local cadets earned six medals while competing in the Northern Ontario Area Cadet Biathlon held in Sault Ste Marie this past weekend. Cassandra Breckenridge and Kaylee-Ann Marci of the 2310 Army Cadets earned Gold in the Open Female Relay and will advance to the Regional Ontario Cadet Biathlon, 11 and 12 February. Cassandra also earned Silver in the Junior Female Individual race. Andre Breckenridge and Dereck Rouleau of the Royal Sovereign Sea Cadets earned Bronze in the Open Relay and will also advance. Andre won a Silver Medal in the Youth Make Individual race. 306 Sea Cadets, Elliot Lake, 696 Air Cadets and 2407 Blind River also competed this past weekend. The best of Ontario will compete at the Regional Cadet Biathlon held here in Sault Ste Marie.

There were 218 sea, army and air cadets competing this past weekend at the Algoma Rod and Gun Club who were representing communities as far East as Renfrew, and as far North as Kapuskasing This Olympic-style competition was the Second of Four Stages where athletes cross-country skiing 1-2 km loops through the challenging terrain of Sault Ste Marie and shooting .22-calibre rifles at falling-plate targets in the range stadium. These young male and female athletes are aged 12 to 18 yrs and have been actively training for this competition since September, and in many cases, for a number of years.

The Cadet Biathlon Training Program promotes physical fitness, sportsmanship, marksmanship skills while providing personal challenge and achievement opportunities and self esteem. Many past cadets have gone onto Olympic competition, including Jean Philippee Le Guellec, Nikki Keddie, and double Olympic gold medalist Myriam Bedard.

The top teams from this weekend’s event will return here on February 13 and 14th for the Provincial Cadet Biathlon Competition to compete again for their chance to advance to the 2016 National Cadet Biathlon Championship being held in Valcartier, Quebec in early March.