Shooting, running make up biathlon

By Staff
This is one in a series of stories highlighting the competitions that make up The State Games of Mississippi. The State Games are set for June 18-20 and June 24-27 in Meridian. Three competitions, including the Summer Biathlon, will be held the weekend of June 5-6.
By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
May 21, 2004
Quick. What was the easiest gold medal to win in the 2003 State Games?
If you answered summer biathlon, go to the head of the class. All five participants last year came away with gold medals as the competition is divided into three divisions open, law enforcement, and military with age groups in each division.
To clarify, easy comes in the fact that all five entrants had gold medals secured before they took their first step in the event which involves both running and rifle shooting.
Easy does not come in what they had to do to win their medal.
The athletes run one mile around Camp Binachi, stop for a five-target prone shoot, run another mile, stop for a five-target standing shoot, then finish with a one-mile run. Penalty distances must be run for each miss in the target shooting. The targets are at a distance of 25 meters.
David Carr of Meridian had the overall fastest time and won the 40-49 open division. Toby Graves of Carriere won the 30-39 open division. Steven Palm of Gulfport won the 40-49 military division. William Calvert of Gulfport won the 50-plus law enforcement division. Kim Reinike of Long Beach won the 40-49 law enforcement division. Reinike is also the commissioner of the biathlon competition.
The competition is set for Camp Binachi on June 5. Attendance is mandatory for a safety clinic at 7:30 a.m. with the actual event slated to get under way at 8:30 a.m.
First-time shooters must attend a separate part of the class. Entry fee is $35 per individual.
The divisions of competition this year are open male/female with age groups 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50-plus; law enforcement male/female with age groups 17-39, 40-49, and 50-plus; and military male/female with age groups 17-39, 40-49, and 50-plus.
Ammunition is provided. Participants are required to bring their own .22 caliber rifles. Any standard bolt action or automatic rifle will be allowed. All rifles are allowed only five rounds per shooting station at one time. If a participant has 10 round or higher magazines, they are only allowed five rounds at each station. A 20-second total handicap is added for racers using automatic rifles in fairness as they are faster.
Scopes are allowed as they do not provide an advantage over open-sighted rifles at this distance.
If a participant does not have a rifle, call Kelly Futch at 1-800-482-0205.
Founding Gold Sponsors of The State Games of Mississippi an Olympics-style sports festival are Rush Foundation Hospital and Meridian's Coca-Cola, while Gold Sponsors are The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, The Partnership For a Healthy Mississippi, Bell South and Meridian Airport Authority.
For event applications or schedules call 1-800-462-0205 or visit the State Games of Mississippi website at www.stategamesofms.org.