Sass, Douglas win Sprint Nationals
Kirsten Sass of McKenzie, Tennessee and Christopher Douglas of Atlanta, Georgia won the overall titles at the USA Triathlon Sprint National Championships Sunday.
Sass finished 2nd overall at the USA Triathlon Olympic distance Age Group Nationals Saturday and capped the weekend off with the women’s overall sprint distance victory Sunday at Levi Carter Lake outside Omaha, Nebraska.
Sass improved on her 2nd place finish at this event last year with a 1:07:16 finish that gave her the win in the women’s 35-39 division and the overall title by 3 seconds over 20-24 winner Laura Matthews of Memphis and by 1:15 over 15-19 winner and overall women's 3rd place finisher Addison Smith of Knoxville – making the overall women's podium, an all-Tennessee affair.
"I'm really just impressed to win my age group," Sass told USA Triathlon media. “Doing the double is a real test of your limits. It's a real challenge to keep pushing even when you're hurting — when you start the race and you're already a little fatigued. It's a mental battle as much as a physical one."
Exactly as Sass had done, Douglas followed his 2nd overall finish Saturday at the USA Triathlon Olympic distance Age Group Nationals with a win at the sprint distance nationals Sunday.
Douglas posted the day’s fastest time of 59 minutes and 21 seconds to edge Kyle Hooker of Jacksonville, Florida by 9 seconds for the men’s 25-28 category and for the overall title. Justin Keefe of Waltham, Massachusetts finished 3rd overall and atop the 20-24 category in a time of 59:47.
"Yesterday I lost by 3 seconds, so I knew today I was just going to leave everything out there,” Douglas told USA Triathlon media. “I had a bunch of guys who were chasing me on the run. I came in not expecting to do so well yesterday. As soon as I realized that I had a chance to podium overall, I came in with a different mindset; that I'm racing to win today."
USA Triathlon Short Course Nationals
Omaha Nebraska
August 14, 2016
S 750m / B 20k / 5k
Results
Top 10 Overall Women
1. Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 1:07:16 * F35-39
2. Laura Matthews (Memphis TN) 1:07:19 * F2024
3. Addison Smith (Knoxville TN) 1:08:31 * F15-19
4. Jordyn Bloode (New Carlisle IN) 1:08:43 * F15-19
5. Rachel Pearson (Forest Park IL) 1:09:05 * F25-29
6. Jane Tullis (Rome GA) 1:09:51 * F15-19
7. Nicole Manning (McLean VA) 1:09:51 * F15-19
8. Ashley Powell (Knoxville TN) 1:09:57 * F25-29
9. Elizabeth Vermann (St. Louis MO) 1:10:16 * F25-29
10. Jennifer Garrison (Naperville IL) 1:10:19 * F35-39
Top 10 Overall Men
1. Christopher Douglas (Atlanta GA) 59:21 * M25-29
2. Kyle Hooker (Jacksonville FL) 59:30 * M25-29
3. Justin Keefe (Waltham MA) 59:47 * M20-24
4. Andrew Weinstein (Princeton NJ) 1:00:28 *M25-29
5. Armando Abaunzo (Tallahassee FL) 1:00:42 * M20-24
6. Jonathan McAlister (Argyle TX) 1:00:54 * M15-19
7. Thomas Barton (Miami FL) 1:01:38 * M25-29
8. Spencer Ralston (Hebron CT) 1:01:13 * M20-24
9. Joseph Hassett (Des Moines IA) 1:01:21 * M15-19
10. Evan Pardi (Yachats OR) 1:01:34 * M20-24
Individual Age Group Division Winners
Overall Masters Men Jeff Fejfar (Olive Branch MS) 1:03:12 * F50-54
Overall Masters Women Kelly Dippold (Olathe KS) 1:10:30 * M40-44
Overall Grand Masters Women Alicia Caldwell (Denver CO) 1:16:19 * F55-59
Overall Grand Masters Male Gregory Taylor (Yankton SD) 1:09:54 * M60-64
Women
F15-19 Addison Smith (Knoxville TN) 1:08:31
F20-24 Laura Mathews (Memphis TN) 1:07:19
F25-29 Rachel Pearson (Forest Park IL) 1:09:05
F30-34 Amy Fuhrmann (New Holstein WI) 1:10:52
F35-39 Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 1:07:16
F40-44 Heather Curnutt (Madison WI) 1:10:54
F45-49 Lauren Jensen (Muskego WI) 1:11:53
F50-54 Kelly Dippold (Olathe KS) 1:10:30
F55-59 Alicia Caldwell (Denver CO) 1:16:19
F60-64 Susan Griffin-Kaklikian (Castle Rock CO) 1:18:17
F65-69 Kathy Calabretta (Ludington MI) 1:27:23
F70-74 Lois Leon (Miami FL) 1:38:47
F75-79 Carol Deman (Omaha NE) 1:51:54
F80-84 Molly Hayes (Bozeman MT) 2:35:01
Men
M15-19 Jonathan McAlister (Argyle TX) 1:00:5
M20-24 Justin Keefe (Waltham MA) 59:47
M25-29 Christopher Douglas (Atlanta GA) 59:21
M30-34 Andrew Hall (Salt Lake City UT) 1:02:12
M35-39 James Hallberg (Longmont CO) 1:05:28
M40-44 Jeff Fejfar (Olive Branch MS) 1:03:12
M45-49 Greg Mueller (South Bend IN) 1:03:27
M50-54 Adrian Mackay (New York, NY) 1:06:17
M55-59 Lee Walther (Oklahoma City, OK) 1:05:38
M60-64 Gregory Taylor (Yankton SD) 1:09:54
M65-69 Michael Orendorff (Pueblo CO) 1:13:32
M70-74 Christopher Baker (Weedsport NY) 1:28:07
M75-79 William Marshall (Santa Rosa CA) 1:30:48
M80-84 Steve Schloss (Muttontown NY) 2:07:40
M85-89 Winston Allen (St. Augustine FL) 2:22:25
