RunnersWeb Triathlon: Donner, Knibb Finish 1-2 at Sarasota CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Championships

Kaitlin Donner grabbed her first win of 2016 on Saturday in Sarasota, Florida. (Wagner Araujo/@wagner.araujo.photo)

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Florida native Kaitlin Donner picked up her first win of 2016 on Saturday at the Sarasota CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Championships in Nathan Benderson Park, with up-and-coming junior elite Taylor Knibb finishing second.

Donner (Satellite Beach, Fla.) clocked in at 59 minutes, 24 seconds on the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run course, topping the field by more than 30 seconds. Donner had the day's fastest run split (17:33). Knibb (Washington, D.C.) finished second in 59:57 for her second podium finish in back-to-back weekends, coming off the win at a sprint-distance CAMTRI American Cup in Clermont, Florida. Great Britain's India Lee was third in 1:00:06, edging out Erin Jones (Hood River, Ore.) for the final podium spot by 8 seconds.

Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill.) was fourth overall and the top American in the men's race, finishing in 52:51 and missing the podium by less than 1 second. Canadians Xavier Grenier-Talavera and Andrew Yorke pulled away from Kanute and the rest of the field on the run to finish 1-2, and Spain's Fransesc Godoy finished third with the same time as Kanute.

Junior elite athletes ages 16-19 also competed on Saturday in Sarasota on the same sprint-distance course for the CAMTRI Junior North American Championships. Audrey Ernst (South Elgin, Ill.) picked up the silver medal while Kyleigh Spearing (Frankfort, Ill.) earned the bronze. Bret Izzo (St. Charles, Ill.) was the top junior elite finisher for the U.S. men in 13th.

Additional races will be contested in Nathan Benderson Park on Sunday, with the CAMTRI Paratriathlon American Championships, an event that serves as the final qualification opportunity for paratriathletes looking to earn a spot on the first-ever U.S. Paralympic Triathlon Team. Select elite and junior elite triathletes will also compete on Sunday as members of country squads in the CAMTRI Mixed Relay American Championships.

Sarasota CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Championships 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run Elite Women - Complete Results 1. Kaitlin Donner (Satellite Beach, Fla.), 59:24 2. Taylor Knibb (Washington, D.C.), 59:57 3. India Lee (GBR), 1:00:06 U.S. Finishers (top 20) 4. Erin Jones (Hood River, Ore.), 1:00:14 6. Bria Edwards (State College, Pa.), 1:00:54 9. Erin Dolan (Bentonville, Ark.), 1:01:33 10. Michelle Mehnert (Boulder, Colo.), 1:01:35 12. Katie Gorczyca (Las Vegas, Nev.), 1:02:12 14. Calah Schlabach (Arlington, Va.), 1:02:19 17. Sarah Alexander (South Bend, Ind.), 1:02:47 18. Megan Foley (Salt Lake City, Utah), 1:02:49 19. Hilary Krein (Eureka, S.D.), 1:03:04 20. Nicole Truxes (Tempe, Ariz.), 1:03:24 Elite Men - Complete Results 1. Xavier Grenier-Talavera (CAN), 52:43 2. Andrew Yorke (CAN), 52:49 3. Francesc Godoy (ESP), 52:51 U.S. Finishers (top 20) 4. Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill.), 52:51 7. Jarrod Shoemaker (Clermont, Fla.), 53:29 9. John O'Neill (Vail, Colo.), 53:48 11. Hunter Lussi (Kensington, Md.), 53:58 13. Eric Lagerstrom (Portland, Ore.), 54:12 15. Rodolphe von Berg (Boulder, Colo.), 54:30 16. Alex Libin (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 54:34 18. Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.), 54:48

Junior Women - Complete Results 1. Laurin Thorne (CAN), 1:01:21 2. Audrey Ernst (South Elgin, Ill.), 1:01:25 3. Kyleigh Spearing (Frankfort, Ill.), 1:01:31 U.S. Finishers (top 20) 5. Kira Stanley (Acworth, Ga.), 1:02:12 8. Jocelyn Bonney (Long Beach, Calif.), 1:02:37 12. Christina Hashimoto (Pacific Grove, Calif.), 1:03:08 17. Maia Austin (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:03:35 19. Holland Smith (St. Joseph, Mo., 1:04:02 Junior Men - Complete Results 1. Oliver Blecher (CAN), 55:14 2. Diego Alejandro Lopez Acosta (MEX), 56:13 3. Pavlos Antoniades (CAN), 56:15 U.S. Finishers (top 20) 13. Bret Izzo (St. Charles, Ill.), 57:34 15. Alec Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif.), 57:59 16. Evan Parres (Dardenne Prairie, Mo.), 58:00 19. Nicholas Johnson (West Des Moines, Iowa), 58:08

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 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, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).