Youth and Junior Triathletes Race at 2025 USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Nationals in West Chester, Ohio

WEST CHESTER, Ohio – Youth and junior triathletes ages 7-19 raced at Voice of America Park in West Chester, Ohio, for the 2025 USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Nationals on Aug. 2-3. 

The event was organized by USA Triathlon Certified Race Director Todd Gollnick, in conjunction with Travel Butler County. West Chester has hosted Youth and Junior Nationals more than 10 times, most recently in 2022. Held at Voice of America Park, Youth and Junior Nationals took athletes on a course known for its fast, protected swim in the calm lake waters, a flat and scenic bike loop, and a run course that winds through picturesque park trails. 

Several past and present members of the U.S. Elite Triathlon National Team began their triathlon careers on the draft-legal youth and junior racing circuits, including Paris 2024 Olympic medalists Seth Rider and Taylor Knibb, and fellow current U.S. elite teammates Darr Smith and Tamara Gorman.  

Racing in West Chester kicked off on Aug. 2 with the Junior Draft Legal Race, which consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, and a 5k run. Youth Draft Legal athletes completed a 375m swim, 10k bike, and 2.5k run. Draft-legal racing is the same format in which elite triathletes compete at the World Triathlon level and the Olympic Games. With drafting allowed on the bike, athletes work together in packs, creating a dynamic, exciting race.   

USA Triathlon Project Podium’s Blake Bullard (Southlake, Texas) won the men’s Junior Draft Legal Championship in a time of 53 minutes and 50 seconds. Bullard’s win now extends Project Podium’s streak of winning the men's Junior Draft Legal Championship title at Youth and Junior Nationals to five years. Previous winners representing Project Podium, one of USA Triathlon’s elite development training groups, include: Drew Shellenberger (2021), Keller Norland (2022), Carter Stuhlmacher (2023) and Reese Vannerson (2024).  

Isaac Lamprecht (New Kent, Va.) placed second in the men’s Junior Draft Legal Championship with a time of 54:11 and Graham Hummel (Richardson, Texas) placed third in 54:42. 

Z3 Triathlon Team’s Mia Wentzy (Sioux Falls, S.D.) placed first in the women’s Junior Draft Legal Championship in a time of 1:00:44, followed by her teammate Ruth Pardy (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in 1:00:51. Both athletes compete on the University of Arizona women’s collegiate triathlon team that won its first NCAA Division I title last season.  

Marley Andelman (Saint Charles, Ill.) of Multisport Madness Triathlon Team placed third in 1:01:22. 

In the men’s Youth Draft Legal Championship, TeamE MultiSport’s Brice Allen (Rogers, Ark.) captured the title with a time of 30:33. Dylan Judge (Marietta, Ga.) from Multisport Explosion placed second in 30:45 and Remington Morland (Bentonville, Ark.), also from TeamE Multi Sport, placed third in 31:02. 

Z3 Triathlon Team’s Brianna Reilly (Sioux Falls, S.D.) placed first in the women’s Youth Draft Legal Championship in 33:01, followed by her teammate Autumn Gilhooly (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in 33:28. Briana Allen (Rogers, Ark.) of TeamE Multi Sport placed third in 34:00. 

Following the Draft-Legal races were the Junior Age Group non-drafting championship for athletes ages 13-18, which consisted of a 300m swim, 10k bike, and 2.5k run. 

In the boys 13-18 Age Group Championship, Xavier Garriques (Lake Forest, Ill.) placed first in a time of 32:35, followed by Colin Kurtz (Charlestown, Mass.) in 33:05. Garriques younger brother, Kaedon Garriques (Lake Forest, Ill.) rounded out the podium in 35:02. 

Elisabetta Filippe (Cincinatti, Ohio) placed first in the girls 13-18 Age Group Championship in 35:54. She was followed by Emma Leary (Center Moriches, N.Y.) in 37:05 and Austin Harlow (Glen Allen, Va.) in 37:13. 

The Youth and Junior Mixed Relay kicked off the final day of competition on Aug. 3, which consisted of four triathletes (two boys and two girls) each completing a 200m swim, draft-legal 5k bike, and a 1k run. 

Josie Nunziata (Suffolk, Va.), Eli McWard (Prosper, Texas), Molly Garrison (Aledo, Texas), and Blake Bullard of Stars and Stripes Racing placed first overall in 1:08:44. Z3 Gold’s Mia Wentzy, Garrett Gehringer (Papillion, Neb.), Ruth Pardy, and Evan Mahrous (Sioux Falls, S.D.) placed second in 1:09:59, and Multisport Explosion Black’s Clara James-Heer (Grand Rapids. Mich.), Jake Adler (Jamestown, N.C.), Louise Delgado (Marietta, Ga.), Yan Berezitsky (Alpharetta, Ga.) placed third in 1:10:01. 

Following the Mixed Relay, athletes ages 7-12 competed in the Youth Age Group non-drafting championship races. Athletes ages 11-12 completed a 200m swim, 10k bike, and 2k run, and athletes ages 7-10-years-old completed a 100m swim, 5k bike, and 1k run. Youth paratriathletes and athletes with intellectual impairments also competed on the same course as the 11–12 age group. 

Theo Tollakson (Des Moines, Iowa) placed first in the boys 11-12 Youth Age Group Championship in a time of 31:29. He was followed by Cooper Hummel (Richardson, Texas) in 32:52 and Keegan Reilly (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in 38:25. 

Mia Johnson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) placed first in the girls 11-12 Youth Age Group Championship in 33:43, followed by Lillian Church (Richardson, Texas) in 33:58. Hailey Cashman (Overland Park, Kansas) placed third in 34:05. 

In the boys 7-10 Youth Age Group Championship, John Coimbra (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) placed first in 18:15, followed by Gavin Mahrous (Sioux Falls, S.D.) in 18:18. Alexander Drewisis (Port Jefferson, N.Y.) placed third in 18:19. 

Shayfer Lonergan (Dallas, Texas) placed first in the girls 7-10 Youth Age Group Championship in a time of 20:41 and Ellie Zarr (Findlay, Ohio) placed second in 20:46. Everley Weber (Sioux Falls, S.D.) placed third in 20:48. 

Youth paratriathletes and athletes with intellectual impairments also competed on the same course as the 11–12 age group. 

Raphael Wilbur (Braddock, Pa.) placed first in the ATD1 division in a time of 13:06, followed by Austin Evans (Columbus, Ohio) in 19:25. Joshua Spittler (Heber City, Utah) placed first in the ATD2 division in a time of 31:02. 

Overall team scores are based on performance for each age group and gender. The overall team championship winner is Z3 Triathlon Team, followed by Multisport Madness Triathlon team in second, and Get Fit Families in third. Endorphin Fitness and SET Youth placed fourth and fifth, respectively.