Sass, Jones win USAT Olympic Distance Nationals
Kirsten Sass of McKenzie, Tennessee and William Jones of San Diego, California took their first USA Triathlon Olympic Distance Age Group overall titles in perfect weather at Omaha’s Levi Carter Park.
Sass won the women’s 35-39 age group and the women's overall title with a 2:09:47 finish which gave her a 30 seconds margin of victory on overall runner-up and 25-29 age group winner Jacqueline Godbe of Chicago, Illinois and 2 minutes on 3rd overall and 25-29 runner-up Danielle Dingman of Branson, Missouri.
“The bike is always my strong suit – my problem is usually going too hard on the bike and killing myself on the run, but then to a certain extent, you just have to lay it all out there,” Sass told USA Triathlon media. “I feel like I was able to balance the two pretty well today.”
Sass finished 2nd overall woman in last year’s USA Triathlon Olympic Distance Age Group nationals on Omaha, won last year’s USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance Nationals, and won the overall amateur women’s title in the 2015 ITU World Championship in Chicago before taking her first Olympic distance national title.
In his first USA Triathlon Age Group National, Jones won the overall crown and the Men’s 30-34 title with a time of 1:56:19 which gave him a 1:32 margin of victory on overall runner-up and Men’s 17-19 age group winner Ian Hoover-Grinde of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and 1:49 on 3rd place overall and Men’s 25-29 winner Todd Buckingham of East Lansing, Michigan.
“The bike went extremely well for me,” said Jones of his second-best 57:03 split. “All of my training came through, and I really felt great.”
The top 18 finishers in each age group and gender (rolling down to 25th place) earned the opportunity to represent Team USA at the 2018 ITU Age Group Triathlon World Championships in Gold Coast, Australia.
Tomorrow, triathletes will contest the USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint Distance National Championships at Levi Carter Park.
USA Triathlon Age Group Olympic Distance National Championship
Omaha, Nebraska
August 12, 2017
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k
Results
Overall Female – Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 2:09:47
Overall Male – William Jones (San Diego CA) 1:56:19
Masters Female – Adrienne Leblanc (Scottsdale AZ) 2:12:01
Masters Male – Tim Hola (Highlands Ranch CO) 2:03:04
Grand Masters Female – Kelly Dippold (Scottsdale AZ) 2:22:24
Grand Masters Male – Ron Gierut (Cedar Rapids IA) 2:16:11
F17-19 Claire Wolff (McLean, VA) 2:23:25
M17-19: Ian Hoover-Grinde (Cedar Rapids IA) 1:57:51
F20-24: Madeleine Pesch (St. Cloud MN) 2:14:44
M20-24: Evan Culbert (Johnston, IA) 1:59:32
F25-29: Jacqueline Godbe (Chicago IL) 2:10:17
M25-29: Todd Buckingham (East Lansing MI) 1:58:08
F30-34: Cymon Kersch (Portland OR) 2:14:38
M30-34: William Jones (San Diego CA) 1:56:19
F35-39: Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 2:09:47
M35-39: Ryan Bickerstaff (Palo Alto CA) 2:01:11
F40-44: Ginger Reiner (Lincoln MA) 2:16:20
M40-44: Tim Hola (Highlands Ranch CO) 2:03:04
F45-49: Adrienne Leblanc (Scottsdale AZ) 2:12:01
M45-49: Scott Erba (Winona Lake IN) 2:03:38
F50-54: Mina Pizzini (Austin TX) 2:20:55
M50-54: Robert Skaggs (Solana Beach CA) 2:05:20
F55-59: Kelly Dippold (Olathe KS) 2:22:24
M55-59: Lee Walther (Oklahoma City OK) 2:11:42
F60-64: Carol Gephart (Hamilton MI) 2:26:12
M60-64: Ron Gierut (Cedar Rapids IA) 2:16:11
F65-69: Sally Gaines (Mammoth Lakes CA) 2:46:12
M65-69: Jim Bruskewitz (Boulder CO) 2:23:14
F70-74: Kathryn Wiberg (West Boylston MA) 2:59:57
M70-74: Simon Butterworth (Lafayette CO) 2:39:47
F75-79: Elizabeth Brackett (Chicago IL) 3:23:17
M75-79: William Marshall (Santa Rosa CA) 3:02:57
M80-84: Jon Adamson (Alpharetta GA) 3:28:34
F85+: Madonna Buder (Spokane WA) 5:07:30
