Posted: March 17, 2005

Multisport: USAT Names 2004 Age Group Athletes of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 16, 2005) – USA Triathlon has announced its age group Athlete of the Year Award winners, as determined by the Age Group Commission and members of other committees and commissions.

The committee members considered the results from various high profile races during the 2004 season including the USAT Age Group National Championship, the long course national championship, results from the world international and long course championships and the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.

From these and other races, the committee congratulates the following outstanding athletes on their accomplishments:

Triathlon

Junior Male Stephen Godlove (16, Orlando, Fla.): At 15 years old, Godlove was the junior winner at St. Anthony’s and was fourth overall. He was sixth overall at the Gulf Coast Triathlon with a time of 4:19:56.

Junior Female Justine Whipple (19, Annapolis, Md.): Whipple was a top-five finisher at Tri America in Clermont, Fla., fifth overall at the Columbia Triathlon, sixth overall at the Collegiate National Championship and sixth in the 20-24 division at age group nationals.

Open Division (20-40 years old) Male Trent Tollakson: Tollakson was the overall men's winner at USAT Age Group National Championship, Chicago Triathlon and at Memphis in May. Tollakson won a bronze medal at the ITU Triathlon World Championship and finished 13th overall.

Open Division Female Heather Haviland (31, Waukesha, Wis.): Haviland was a silver medallist in her division at worlds in Madeira and was the overall women's winner at Danskin Pleasant Prairie, the Cutting Edge Half Triathlon, and the Muncie Endurathon.

Masters (41-60 years old) Male Steven Smith (57, South Bend, Ind.): Smith won his division at Nationals, Blackwater Eagleman and Half Utramax. He won his division at the Muncie Endurathon by 19 minutes. Smith was seventh overall at the Mideast Championship.

Masters Female Holly Nybo (42, Portola Valley, Calif.): Nybo won her age group at Nationals in a time of 2:12:27 and was seventh overall. Nybo is the first woman to win Master Athlete of the Year two years in a row since Missy LeStrange in 1994-1995.

Grand Masters (61-plus) Male Richard Clark (66, Tiburon, Calif.): Clark won his division in all three Ironman events in which he competed and set two records. Won all three half triathlons he entered and set another age group course record. Won his division in all five international-distance races he entered and set age group records at all five.

Grand Masters Female Ann Erikson (62, The Woodlands, Texas): Erickson won her division at nationals with a time of 2:35:46, and has been undefeated in her age group over the past two seasons.

Physically Challenged Male Athlete Paul Martin (37, Broomfield, Colo.): Martin completed Ironman Lake Placid in a time of 10:30:50. He was only five places away from a Kona slot for the “able bodied”. Finished sub-five hours at the Buffalo Springs Triathlon and set a personal record for the fifth time at Boulder Peak with a time of 2:19:47.

Physically Challenged Female Athlete Lindsay Nielsen (49, Minneapolis, Minn.): Nielsen became the first-ever female leg amputee to finish an Ironman at Wisconsin. In preparation for Wisconsin, Lindsay completed two half triathlon races, finishing in 7 hours, 16 minutes (Wisconsin Dells Tin Man) and 7:04 (Iowa Pig Man).

Duathlon

Open Division Male John McGovern (40, Kingston, N.Y.): McGovern had strong overall finishes at the two major world championship races (second American at short course worlds, first American at long course worlds), and top finishes at short course nationals (seventh overall) and long course nationals (third overall).

Open Division Female Nina Wurzburger (29, Athens, Ga.): Wurzburger was the second American finisher at long course worlds and third overall at long course nationals, giving her enough points to capture the top spot over Beth Burchill.

Master Male Dan Rindfleisch (50, Madison, Wis.): Rindfleisch had consistent finishes at short course worlds, and both short and long course nationals to garner the top spot.

Master Female Sherry Shelton (47, Alpharetta, Ga.): In very close scoring, Shelton got the nod based on consistent finishes in short course worlds, and both short and long course nationals.

Grand Master Male Mike McCarty (59, New Bedford, Mass.): McCarty was the top American grand master finisher at short course worlds and the second grand master finisher at short course nationals.

Grand Master Female Celeste Callahan (62, Denver, Colo.): Callahan won the title based on her second-place American female grand master finishes at short course worlds and nationals.

The committee consisted of Lee Zohlman and John Stewart both of the AGC, Amber Anthony (Women’s Commission), Mike Plumb (Duathlon Commission), Jon Beeson (Physically Challenged Commission), Ken Whitney and Brad Leonard, both of the Senior Task Force, Tim Becker (USAT Board), Jerry MacNeil and Troy Stiles (USAT staff).