4/26/09, St Petersburg, FL -- Connecticut's Chris Thomas and West Virginia's
Vinnie Monseau went 1-2 in the Elite Amateur Race at today's 26th running of
St. Anthony's Triathlon, a reversal of their order at last fall's 2008 Best
of the U.S. Amateur Championship race. Ultimately, the Amateur Elite Top
Tens included 8 Best of the U.S. athletes.
Fierce easterly winds creating 5-foot swells forced cancellation
of the swim for all but the pro field. Amateurs raced the 40K Bike, 10K Run
in a time trial start format. Eric Bell was first across the line, got
bounced to 3rd by Thomas and Monseau, then to 7th with a penalty. Bell was
Tennessee's Best of the U.S. representative in 2007, but was unable to race
when he got injured the day before the race.
Monseau was a darkhorse last October when he took the Best of
the U.S. crown. It would have truly been Monseau's day yet again, had he not
crashed; the 40-year-old ER doctor's time turned out to be just 11 seconds
slower than winner Chris Thomas', in spite of an impressive display of road
rash.
Fifth place for the elite amateur men today was Florida's John
Reback, who was 8th at the 2005 Best of the U.S. Championship and, together
with Florida teammate Lotte Branigan, Fastest State Team Champion.
Four 2008 Best of the U.S. women placed in the top ten as well.
Minnesota's Cathy Yndestad [BOUS 6th in 2006, 3rd in 2007] was 4th; Kathy
Rakel [BOUS 9th for Arizona in 2008, now of Texas] was 6th; Colorado's
Sydney Cornell [BOUS 17th in 2008] was 8th; and Elizabeth Ott of Illinois [a
close 2nd at BOUS in 2008] today was 10th.
BOUS alumnae impacted the pro race, as well, with Jillian
Petersen (4th at 2006 BOUS) in the money today at 4th place, and Hawaii's
Bree Wee 8th. Seventh place woman at the 2005 inaugural BOUS Championship,
Wee went on to be named 2007 Amateur Of The Year after recording the
fastest-ever amateur women¹s time at Ironman Hawaii (9:46).
Florida's early-season 2009 Best of the U.S. Qualifiers also did well. 19
year-old Nicolas Tautiva was 2nd and Alison Poe (previously representing
Kentucky at BOUS) was 8th.
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?
