Stone and Strehlow take overall AG Nationals
The nation’s fastest age group triathletes met at Lake Michigan and downtown Milwaukee at the 2021 USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance Age Group National Championships. Milwaukee native Annamarie Strehlow and Benjamin Stone of Indianapolis earned overall national titles.
Milwaukee hosted age group Nationals from 2013-2015 and USA Triathlon returns to the city after two years in Omaha (2016-2017) and two in Cleveland (2018-2019) while the planned 2020 event was canceled due to COVID-19.
Saturday’s course consisted of a 1,500-meter swim in Lake Michigan, a 40-kilometer bike on the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge and the Lake Freeway. Contestants finished with a 10k run through Veterans Park and Lincoln Memorial Drive ending with a red carpet finish next to the Milwaukee Art Museum.
Women
Strehlow won the women’s overall title with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 58 seconds. Strehlow posted the women’s fastest bike split 1:01:08, then ran a sub-40-minute 10k to take the lead, passing overall runner-up Michelle Stratton of Naperville, IL with 3k to go. Stratton finished in 2:08:15, and 44-year-old Ginger Reiner of Lincoln, MA took third overall in 2:10:32.
“The swim was great — flat, water like glass,” Strehlow told USA Triathlon Media. “On the ride, this is my hometown, so I know these roads. It was fast and flat, and same thing going into the run; I knew there was going to be some really good competition, when I saw Michelle with about a mile to go, I tried to push it. It feels incredible to be a champion in my hometown. I saw my family out of the swim, out of the bike and out on the run. It's one of the only races that I’ve had so much support, so that really pushed me to the finish.”
Men
The men’s overall title went to Stone in 1:50:41. He combined the day’s third-fastest swim, the sixth-fastest bike split and the eighth fastest 10k of the overall men’s field and crossed the line nearly 90 seconds ahead of runner-up Daniel Moore, 27, of Melbourne, Florida. who finished in1:52:09. Ari Klau, 27, of West Hartford, Connecticut took 3rd in 1:52:41.
“I made this my goal to win last year, but that didn’t happen because of COVID-19, so I’m just happy to be here racing against the best athletes in the U.S.,” said Stone. “I’ve won a couple races this year, but this was definitely the most exciting finish this year. I’m just ecstatic and super happy.”
Brett Collins of La Grange, Illinois, the men’s 35-39 champion, said the pause on racing during the pandemic made him more dedicated to the sport than ever.
“I think COVID solidified my passion for the sport,” he told USA Triathlon media. “I feel it either caused them to bite their teeth and dig in harder, or back away. I was one of the ones that bit harder. I hope I made my family proud. It’s a team effort.”
Toyota USA Triathlon Olympic Distance AG Nationals
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
August 7, 2021
S 1.5 k / B 40k / R 10k
Overall Male: Benjamin Stone (Indianapolis IN) 1:50:41
Overall Female: Annamarie Strehlow (Milwaukee WI) 2:07:58
F17-19: Christina Traficanti (Phoenixville PA) 2:27:45
M17-19: Andrew Murray (Pearland TX) 1:56:05
F20-24: Jenna Horner (Eden Prairie MN) 2:11:10
M20-24: Matthew Marquardt (Cincinnati OH) 1:52:46
F25-29: Minori Minagawa (Dublin Ohio) 2:10:50
M25-29: Benjamin Stone (Indianapolis IN) 1:50:41
F30-34: Annamarie Strehlow (Milwaukee WI) 2:07:58
M30-34: Brian Reynolds (Richland MI) 1:54:39
F35-39: Kristine Banks-Smith (Denver CO) 2:10:51
M35-39: Brett Collins (La Grange IL) 1:57:52
F40-44: Ginger Reiner (Lincoln MA) 2:10:32
M40-44: James Hallberg (Longmont CO) 1:57:46
F45-49: Jessica Holmes (Natick MA) 2:11:49
M45-49: Christian Waterstraat (Naperville IL) 2:04:03
F50-54): Deanna Newman (Mountain Brook AL) 2:12:29
M50-54: Stephen Bosic (Waltham MA) 2:04:24
F55-59: Susan Pierson (Green Bay WI) 2:21:53
M55-59: Scott Trappe (Gaston IN) 2:07:21
F60-64: Juliana Nievergelt (Mount Pleasant SC) 2:21:27
M60-64: Tony Schiller (Eden Prairie MN) 2:08:15
F65-69: Carol Gephart (Hamilton MI) 2:30:48
M65-69: Gregory Taylor (Yankton SC) 2:17:40
F70-74: Barbara Mathewson (Virginia Beach VA) 2:58:59
M70-74: John Towart (Solana Beach CA) 2:33:26
F75-79: Nancy Mallon (Denver CO) 3:54:48
M75-79: Robert Plant (Woodside CA) 2:48:23
F80-84: Peggy McDowell-Cramer (Santa Monica CA) 3:55:24
M80-84: Raymond Eastwood (Palos Verdes Estates CA) 3:36:00\
Time to Tri Open Female: Randy Anderson-Kenney (Waukesha WI) 2:24:34
Time to Tri Open Male: Lyle Hosting (Greenville SC) 2:13:05
