Judge Memorial CHS biathlete claims national title

Courtesy photo/Sylvester Williams

+ Enlarge

Thomas Van de Kamp, at front in light blue, is making a name for himself in the sport of biathlon.

Judge Memorial Catholic High School freshman Thomas Van de Kamp, 15, has been skiing most of his life, but in the last couple of years he has taken the sport to a whole new level.

All of the Van de Kamp family love to ski. Brock Van de Kamp, Thomas’ father, participated in Alpine racing and cross-country skiing as an adult and wanted Thomas and his sister Catherine to participate in those sports, their mother Rachele McCarthey said. The family used to go to Bryce Canyon for a winter festival where they would have cross-country ski races with an archery biathlon. Thomas tried those events and really enjoyed them, Rachele said.

After observing the traditional biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting, Thomas took up the sport. It has been a good fit — on March 24 he finished first in the U17 pursuit race in the U.S. Biathlon National Championship in Casper, Wyo. He also came in second in the relay with fellow team member Phillip Radu.

In the pursuit race, competitors first have a sprint race. Their starting places in the pursuit are determined by how they finish in the sprint. At the championship, Thomas finished fifth in the sprint, allowing him to start 20 seconds behind the leader in pursuit, which has five skiing loops and four shooting loops (two prone and two standing). After the first shooting he was in second place. He took the lead after the second shooting and maintained it the rest of the race.

Thomas, a member of Team Soldier Hollow, was happy with his finish. “It was a really good race that I had,” he said. “I shot really well, and I also skied well for that race.”

To compete at the national level in the biathlon, Thomas practices at Soldier Hollow for an hour and a half to two hours five days a week, working on intervals, speedwork and long skis. Currently his team is between winter and summer training, so they roller ski or run. He also skis with TUNA, the Utah Nordic Alliance ski team.

On a typical day, Thomas goes to practice straight from school and gets home around 7 p.m. After a short break, he normally hits the books.

Being a night owl helps, his mom says. “He’s a good student and he’s also an efficient student. He just gets things done.”

Thomas likes that the biathlon is more than just skiing, he said. “The fastest skier won’t always win; it’s also based on how you shoot.”

He plans to continue competing, and is working to qualify for the youth world championships in the next few years. He also is considering trying out for the Olympics. Whatever he chooses, he has his parents’ support.

“I am proud of him, but I want it to be what he wants,” Rachele said. “He’s an interesting kid; he can be really laid back in certain things and then other things he’s really driven. So, it has been a joy to really watch him find his sport and something that really brings him not only pleasure but also something to work hard at.”

Along with his training regimen for the biathlon, Thomas also runs cross country and track for JMCHS.