US Triathletes Head South for Pan American Championship
 John Martin - pressbox.teamusa.org
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October 15, 2010
| | Jennifer Spieldenner will look for a return to the podium in Puerto Vallarta this Sunday. (USA Triathlon) | |
Nearly two dozen U.S. triathletes, including top-ranked men Matt Chrabot and Jarrod Shoemaker, will be in action in Mexico Sunday at the 2010 Puerto Vallarta PATCO Pan American Championships.
The Olympic-distance event (1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run) is scheduled to feature nearly 100 of the top triathletes in the Americas aiming for regional titles. PATCO – the Panamerican Triathlon Confederation – is comprised of 38 national federations in the Americas.
In addition to Chrabot (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Shoemaker (Maynard, Mass.), who finished the ITU World Championship Series as the top two American men, Ben Collins (Seattle, Wash.), Ethan Brown (Lowell, Mass.) and Kevin Collington (Orlando, Fla.) hold starting positions in the top 10 for Sunday.
Chrabot is fresh off a third-place finish last weekend at the Huatulco ITU World Cup, while Steve Sexton (Pilot Hill, Calif.) was 14th, and Brown took 25th. Shoemaker earned the USA Triathlon Elite National Title in his last start on Sept. 25 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
On the women’s side, Jennifer Spieldenner (Findlay, Ohio), who earned overall bronze and captured the under-23 title last year in Oklahoma City, will look for a second straight PATCO podium finish.
Joining Spieldenner with a top-10 starting position are Jillian Petersen (St. Louis, Mo.), Alicia Kaye (Maynard, Mass.), Margaret Shapiro (Herndon, Va.) and Amanda Felder (Cupertino, Calif.). First-year elite Gwen Jorgenson (Milwaukee, Wis.) is coming off a top-five finish last weekend at Huatulco in her first-ever ITU World Cup event.
USAT under-23 champion Lauren Goss (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) and Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.) are scheduled to compete for the under-23 title.
U.S. athletes swept the male and female elite podiums a year ago in Oklahoma City with Matt Reed (Boulder, Colo.) and Mary Beth Ellis (Boulder, Colo.) earning gold. Chrabot and Collins aim to move to the podium after finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, a year ago.
In addition to the action in Mexico, six American men are slated to race Saturday at the Tongyeong ITU World Cup in Korea. Project 2012 program members Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.), Timothy O’Donnell (Boulder, Colo.) and Seth Wealing (Boulder, Colo.) headline the start list for the U.S.
About USA Triathlon:
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon – one of the fastest growing sports in the world – as well as duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 3,100 races and connects with more than 135,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world.
In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USAT provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games.
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