U.S. Biathlon Announces 2025 Junior National Team Roster

Midway, UT - The United States Biathlon Association has announced the selected members of the Junior National Team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Junior National Team

Eric Anderson (Frontenac, MN/Bluff Country Biathlon)

Annelise Baird (Brainerd, MN/Minnesota Biathlon)

Seven Bowen (Huntington, VT/Ethan Allen Biathlon Club)

Virginia Cobb (Westford, VT/Ethan Allen Biathlon Club)

John Lohuis (Anchorage, AK/Biathlon Alaska)

Mirra Payson (Lexington, MA/HSC Biathlon)

Aidan Sands (Mazama, WA/Team Altius)

Elias Soule (Anchorage, AK/Anchorage Biathlon Club)

Reine Soule (Anchorage, AK/Anchorage Biathlon Club)

Tristan Thrasher (Steamboat Springs, CO/Team Altius)

“Being named to the Junior National Team is a meaningful milestone in an athlete’s biathlon journey, and we’re excited to support this next generation as they continue to grow and challenge themselves,” said U.S. Biathlon Director of Athlete Development Tim Burke. “This year marks an exciting evolution of the program, as we introduce a full summer training schedule for our Junior National Team athletes. We look forward to seeing this group benefit from more time together on the range and trails. At the same time, we remain committed to an inclusive development model, offering additional training opportunities through our Elite Development Camps to a broader pool of emerging athletes.”

Coach Brian Halligan will oversee the Junior National Team for the 2025-26 season. Halligan is heading into his fourth season coaching the Junior National Team, his second season as head coach.

“I was very impressed with the performances of all these athletes this past winter,” said Halligan. “They each saw great improvement and demonstrated a love for the sport and the desire to improve. As a team, the talent I see when looking at this roster is immense. The past few years U.S. Biathlon has invested a lot into the development age groups, clubs and coaches and this crew of athletes are all a direct product of the hard work our club coaches are doing. I am so excited to build on that hard work by bringing the best young athletes together and fostering an elite training group where everyone can work together to succeed.”

This upcoming summer training season, the U.S. Biathlon Junior National Team will run a collaborative program with Soldier Hollow Nordic Center, home to the U.S. Biathlon Association headquarters, based in Midway, UT. The goal of the program is to provide a “home base” to bring elite youth and junior athletes together to train. This collaboration bolsters the training group and gives those not on the Junior National Team the opportunity to train with Junior National Team athletes and U.S. Biathlon coaches, and is designed to offer elevated attention and support to the growing population of youth and junior biathletes in the United States.