USA Triathlon Age Group and Junior Athletes of the Year

McLane, Chesney among Colorado Athletes Honored

USA Triathlon

January 27, 2011 (Colorado Springs, CO) – Following a year that featured scores of memorable and inspirational performances, USA Triathlon is pleased to announce the 2010 Age Group Athletes of the Year, presented by Garmin, an honor awarded annually by USA Triathlon’s Age Group Committee and Duathlon Committee.

“Our screening process this year for the Athletes of the Year Awards was quite lengthy because we had such a high quality field to select from in virtually every division. We want to congratulate those who ultimately have been selected for these awards. You have demonstrated an inspired performance over and over again throughout the 2010 season,” said Chuck Graziano, chair of the USA Triathlon Athlete of the Year Committee.

Overall Triathlete of the Year honors went to Kaleb VanOrt (Mishawaka, Ind.) and Mandy McLane (Boulder, Colo.), who were also the overall winners at the 2010 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship. VanOrt posted elite age group victories at the Chicago Triathlon and Rev3 Knoxville.

In addition to her win at Age Group Nationals, McLane captured the women’s 30-34 title at the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Fla., and was the top elite amateur finisher at the Miami International Triathlon and the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

Dave Slavinski (Point Pleasant, N.J.) was named Men’s Overall Duathlete of the Year after winning the men’s 35-39 title at Duathlon Nationals and placing fourth at the ITU Duathlon World Championship in Edinburgh, Scotland. Masters athlete Ann Davidson (Portland, Ore.) claimed Women’s Overall Duathlete of the Year honors after capturing the 45-49 age group at Duathlon Nationals and at the ITU Duathlon World Championship.

Masters honors went to Curt Chesney (Boulder, Colo.) and Ann Ciaverella (Happy Valley, Ore.) for triathlon, and Barry Lewis (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Stacy Creamer (New York, N.Y.) for duathlon. Chesney was victorious in the 40-44 age group at the IRONMAN World Championship and the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3, while Ciaverella was the women’s 40-44 winner at IRONMAN Brazil and IRONMAN Arizona. She also took 10th in her age group in Kona.

Lewis was the men’s 50-54 runner-up at Duathlon Nationals and went on to place fifth at the ITU World Championship. Creamer earned bronze in the 50-54 age group on the world level after placing second at Duathlon Nationals.

Steven Smith (Granger, Ind.), who captured the grand masters titles at the USA Triathlon Age Group and Sprint National Championships on back-to-back days, claimed Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year accolades. Female Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year Laura Sophiea (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) won the women’s 55-59 age group at the IRONMAN World Championship in her 20th Kona appearance.

Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year honors went to Roger Brockenbrough (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Anne Mitchell (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.). Brockenbrough was the champion in the men’s 75-79 age group at Duathlon Nationals before earning silver at the ITU World Championship. Mitchell was the top grand masters finisher at the 2010 National Duathlon Festival and also grabbed silver in the 55-59 age group at the ITU World Championship.

Men’s Overall Triathlete of the Year

Kaleb VanOrt (Mishawaka, Ind.)
Honorable mention: Gavin Anderson (Louisville, Colo.), James Burns (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Patrick Davis (Ames, Iowa), Patrick Parish (Circle Pines, Minn.), Christopher Thomas (Easton, Conn.)

Women’s Overall Triathlete of the Year

Mandy McLane (Boulder, Colo.)

Honorable mention: Christine Anderson (St. Charles, Ill.), Kristin Andrews (Chevy Chase, Md.), Cindi Bannink (Madison, Wis.), Margaret Finley (Austin, Texas), Rhae Shaw (Seattle, Wash.)

Men’s Masters Triathlete of the Year

Curt Chesney (Boulder, Colo.)

Honorable mention: Michael Blue (Seattle, Wash.), Joe Bonness (Napes, Fla.), Doug Clark (Morristown, N.J.), Bruce Gennari (Brentwood, Tenn.), Troy Jacobson (Oro Valley, Ariz.)

Women’s Masters Triathlete of the Year

Ann Ciaverella (Happy Valley, Ore.)
Honorable mention: Ellen Hart (Denver, Colo.), Lisbeth Kenyon (Barrington, R.I.), Susan Langley (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Cassie McWilliam (Rye, N.Y.), Alicia Parr (Durham, N.C.)

Men’s Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year

Steven Smith (Granger, Ind.)
Honorable mention: Roger Brockenbrough (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Lew Hollander (Bend, Ore.), Roger Little (Bedford, Mass.), David McNeely (Glen Arm, Md.)

Women’s Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year

Laura Sophiea (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)
Honorable mention: Nancy Avitabile (Bethesda, Md.), Elizabeth Brackett (Chicago, Ill.), Madonna Buder (Spokane, Wash.), Cherie Gruenfeld (Cathedral City, Calif.), Karen McKeachie (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Men’s Overall Duathlete of the Year

Dave Slavinski (Point Pleasant, N.J.)
Honorable mention: Greg Grosicki (Fairfax, Va.)

Women’s Overall Duathlete of the Year

Ann Davidson (Portland, Ore.)
Honorable mention: Lynn Frampton (Franklin Lakes, N.J.), Jenny Wilcox (Cottage Grove, Minn.)

Men’s Masters Duathlete of the Year

Barry Lewis (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Honorable mention: Stephen Dupree (Boulder, Colo.)

Women’s Masters Duathlete of the Year

Stacy Creamer (New York, N.Y.)
Honorable mention: Kristin Villipoto (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

Men’s Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year

Roger Brockenbrough (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Honorable mention: Mike McCarty (New Bedford, Mass.)

Women’s Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year

Anne Mitchell (Bala Cynwyd, Pa.)
Honorable mention: Barb Morgan (Tioga, Pa.)

Junior Triathletes of the Year

Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill.)
Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill.)

Male Junior Duathlete of the Year

Ryan Peterson (Richmond, Va.)
Honorable mention: Ryan Steinbach (Ellicott City, Md.)

Female Junior Duathlete of the Year

Kate Buss (Blacksburg, Va.)
Honorable mention: Ashley Heinlein (Stillwater, Minn.)

Male Junior Elite All-Americans

Kevin McDowell (Geneva, Ill., No. 1-ranked Junior Elite)
Lukas Verzbicas (New Lenox, Ill., No. 2-ranked Junior Elite)
Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill., 2010 Junior Elite National Champion)
Honorable mention: Hunter Honeycutt (Tifton, Ga., second overall at Junior Elite National Championship)
Honorable mention: Luke Farkas (Franklin, Tenn., third overall at Junior Elite National Championship)

Female Junior Elite All-Americans

Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill., No. 1-ranked Junior Elite)
Tanelle Berard (Clive, Iowa, 2010 Junior Elite National Champion)
Honorable mention: Johanna Gartman (Chattanooga, Tenn., second overall at Junior Elite National Championship)
Honorable mention: Abby Levene (Dublin, N.H., third overall at Junior Elite National Championship)

Male Youth Elite All-Americans

Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo., 2010 Youth Elite National Champion)

Spencer Clark (Clive, Iowa, No. 1-ranked Youth Elite)
Honorable mention: Max Bennett (Parker, Colo., No. 3-ranked Youth Elite)
Honorable mention: Alex Marshall (Alpharetta, Ga., third overall at Youth Elite National Championship)
Honorable mention: Carter Dickson (Aurora, Ill., fourth overall at Youth Elite National Championship)

Female Youth Elite All-Americans

Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D., 2010 Youth Elite National Champion)
Katherine Lowrey (Chaska, Minn., No. 1-ranked Youth Elite)
Hannah Rea Finchamp (Altadena, Calif., No. 2-ranked Youth Elite)
Honorable mention: Rachel Mann (Homer Glen, Ill., second overall at Youth Elite National Championship)
Honorable mention: Devon Dabney (Atlanta, Ga., third overall at Youth Elite National Championship)