Brainerd's Mueller third in biathlon

COLERAINE -- Rebecca Mueller of Brainerd, skiing for Nisswa NW Biathlon, finished third overall in the women's 8-kilometer mass start race Sunday at Mt. Itasca.

Mueller was second in her age class at 32:28. The race was won by Brynden Manbeck of Grand Rapids and the U.S. Junior National Team with one miss and a time of 30:05. Mueller finished ahead of two members of the junior national team.

Wynn Roberts, 15, of Battle Lake, skiing for Nisswa, finished fifth overall in the men's 9.6km race, and third in his class, at 33:13 with six misses. The winner was Ben Byrne of Grand Rapids at 31:46.

Jared Asmus of Little Falls finished eighth at 38:46 with 10 misses, Derrek Matson finished 11th at 40:23 with 12 misses and Josh Duda was second in the men's class.

Katherine Mueller, competing in the 8km girls' race, finished fourth at 40:37 with 10 misses. Conrad Roberts won the 4.8km young boys' race.

On Saturday, Manbeck won the women's race and the youth category at 26:03. Rebecca Mueller was fourth in 31:23 with eight misses.

The girls' category, not carrying rifles, was won by Anna Roessler of Grand Rapids at 30:05. Katherine Mueller was third at 32:02 with six misses.

Byrne won the youth men's category at 26:03 followed by Roberts at 28:07 with four misses. Matson was eighth at 31:41 with eight misses, followed by Asmus in ninth place at 31:58 with five misses.

In the senior men's division Duda was second at 33:30 with three misses.