RunnersWeb Multisport: Long Course Triathlon, Aquabike National Titles Awarded in Final Championship Races of the Season

MIAMI, Fla. -- Age-group athletes claimed the final national titles of 2016 on Sunday at the USA Triathlon Long Course Triathlon and Aquabike National Championships, held in conjunction with the Miami Man Triathlon.

Robby Chalfant won the USA Triathlon Long Course Triathlon National Championships on Sunday in Miami. (Cody Crowther/USA Triathlon)

Robby Chalfant (Boulder, Colo.), who took the overall men's long course triathlon title, clocked in at 4 hours, 7 minutes, 20 seconds on the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run course.

"It was my second attempt at the long course [distance]," Chalfant said. "I'm not used to flat courses. I'm used to hills and descents, so I knew I was up for a challenge. But I couldn't ask for a better race."

The win also qualified Chalfant for the world championships in Penticton, British Columbia, in 2017. The top 18 finishers in each age group (rolling down to 25th place) qualified for Team USA. Team USA is comprised of the nation's top age-group multisport athletes who represent the U.S. at each ITU World Championships event.

Corinne Abraham of the United Kingdom was the first female to cross the finish line but is not eligible to win a national title. To be eligible, athletes must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national to receive awards and qualify for Team USA. This means Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.) added yet another national title to her résumé, finishing with a time of 4:21:36 and successfully defending her title from 2015.

In the Aquabike National Championships, Mike Shaffer (Ventura, Calif.) and Laura Mathews (Memphis, Tenn.) won overall national titles. Shaffer won the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike event in 2:39:53 while Mathews came across the finish line in 2:43:09.

"The bike was flat as a pancake, so it helped me out as a big guy," Shaffer said. "I'm very happy not to have to run... I won once before overall, but this one was a lot more competitive because of worlds coming on."

Additionally, Sass added one last title to her 2016 campaign, winning the women's 35-39 age group and defending her aquabike national title from last season.

USA Triathlon Long Course Triathlon National Championships Miami, Florida 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run Complete Results Overall Female: Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.), 4:21:36 Overall Male: Robby Chalfant (Boulder, Colo.), 4:07:20 F17-19: Carly Brewington (Coral Springs, Fla.), 7:55:13 M17-19: Payne Pachuda (West Chester, Pa.), 4:41:48 F20-24: Isabel Ahrendt (Wexford, Pa.), 5:07:28 M20-24: Ted Treise (River Falls, Wis.), 4:23:50 F25-29: Alice Henley (Plantation, Fla.), 4:49:24 M25-29: Ruben Chavez (Hallandale Beach, Fla.), 4:21:22 F30-34: Emmy Brown (New York, N.Y.), 4:57:40 M30-34: Robby Chalfant (Boulder, Colo.), 4:07:20 F35-39: Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.), 4:21:36 M35-39: Nathan Rickman (Fairfax, Va.), 4:11:14 F40-44: Claudia McCoy (Trinity, Fla.), 4:50:28 M40-44: Kurt Holt (Santa Rosa, Calif.), 4:21:09 F45-49: Tanya Houghton (Weddington, N.C.), 4:52:43 M45-49: Dave Slavinski (Point Pleasant, N.J.), 4:09:30 F50-54: Cassie McWilliam (Rye, N.Y.), 4:43:20 M50-54: Dan Stephens (Boise, Idaho), 4:15:32 F55-59: Sheila Power (Madison, Wis.), 5:11:29 M55-59: Kyle Welch (Sunnyvale, Calif.), 4:23:42 F60-64: Lorrie Beck (Williamstown, N.J.), 5:16:19 M60-64: Ken Junkins (Saint Cloud, Fla.), 5:00:56 F60-64: Sandy Menely (Holmes Branch, Fla.), 6:11:51 M65-69: Mike Wien (Marietta, Ga.), 5:05:50 M70-74: John Strait (New Port Richey, Fla.), 5:21:57
USA Triathlon Aquabike National Championships Miami, Florida 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike Complete Results Overall Female: Laura Mathews (Memphis, Tenn.), 2:43:09 Overall Male: Mike Shaffer (Ventura, Calif.), 2:39:53 F17-19: Alma Campiani (Key Biscayne, Fla.), 3:04:50 M17-19: Tommy Monahan (Louisville, Colo.), 3:11:43 F20-24: Laura Mathews (Memphis, Tenn.), 2:43:09 F25-29: Ryann Kopacka (Berkeley, Calif.), 3:04:30 M25-29: Brent Vanderzyl (Kissimmee, Fla.), 3:11:47 F30-34: Alexandra Hammouri (Greensboro, N.C.), 2:52:24 M30-34: Daniel Nolan (Upper Arlington, Ohio), 2:57:22 F35-39: Kirsten Sass (McKenzie, Tenn.), 2:45:59 M35-39: Zach Wolz (Lake Worth, Fla.), 2:57:09 F40-44: Leslie Hancock (Simi Valley, Calif.), 2:47:25 M40-44: Jake North (Austin, Texas), 2:45:46 F45-49: Julia Wreski (Fort Myers, Fla.), 2:55:48 M45-49: Brian Weissinger (Boise, Idaho), 2:44:54 F50-54: Kerry Simmons (Lake Mary, Fla.), 2:56:30 M50-54: Mike Shaffer (Ventura, Calif.), 2:39:53 F55-59: Kathy Petrillo (Jupiter, Fla.), 3:10:34 M55-59: Paul Lincoln (Weston, Fla.), 2:41:51 F60-64: Denise Everitt (Marion, N.Y.), 3:27:34 M60-64: Michael McCombs (Malborough, Mass.), 2:47:16 F65-69: Debbie White (Fort Myers, Fla.), 3:58:05 M65-69: Garry Castelli (Belleville, Ill.), 2:52:10 F70-74: Lois Leon (Miami, Fla.), 4:05:44 M70-74: Dale Vaughan (Macon, Ga.), 3:09:09 M75-79: Paul McDonald (Pleasant Hill, Calif.), 5:05:14 M80-84: Hunter Temple (Santa Fe, N.M.), 4:58:37

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).