Youth Triathletes Race for Titles at Youth and Junior Cross Nationals at XTERRA Oak Mountain
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by USA Triathlon
PELHAM, Ala. — USA Triathlon crowned the 2026 Youth and Junior Cross National Champions on May 16 at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Alabama, as part of the XTERRA Oak Mountain weekend that brought three days of off-road championship racing back to Shelby County. Lucas Wright (Age 19) and Abigail Wales (Age 19) took the Junior national titles in the Sprint distance, while Dylan Thompson (Age 14) and Elletta Aardema-Gagnon (Age 15) each earned Youth national titles in the Super-Sprint format.
Oak Mountain State Park hosted XTERRA competition for the 18th time, delivering its signature combination of red clay singletrack, lakefront views, tall pines, and Southern hospitality across a full weekend of racing and community events. From an open 5K trail run and kids’ activities to food, live music, a wildlife expo, and a relaxed event village, the weekend united athletes, families, volunteers, and friends in the way that has made Oak Mountain a perennial favorite on the multisport calendar.
The competition featured the XTERRA Youth North American Championship held in partnership alongside the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior Cross National Championships, elevating the stakes for the next generation of off-road multisport athletes.
Lucas Wright claimed the men’s Age 19 Sprint national title and couldn’t hide his enthusiasm for the venue.
“I really love the trails out here — they’re really fast and they flow, and I was really happy to end on a good, strong run,” said Wright, who completed his first triathlon in high school between 9th and 10th grade at a local XTERRA event in Maryland. When asked whether XTERRA is his favorite type of racing, he didn’t hesitate: “Probably, yeah. I really like Olympic non-draft as well, but XTERRA is super fun in the forest.”
Abigail Wales captured the women’s Age 19 Sprint title, having amassed considerable racing experience since her multisport debut in 2020.
“It feels great to win. I loved the bike course,” said Wales, who has raced so frequently she’s lost count of her career starts.
Dylan Thompson earned the Age 14 Super-Sprint crown in what has become a lifelong pursuit — Thompson was just six years old when his father inspired him to enter his first triathlon, and he estimates he’s now completed roughly 50 races.
“Feels good. Definitely the fun bike course was my favorite part of the race. And the run course was fun, too,” Thompson said.
Elletta Aardema-Gagnon delivered a standout Age 15 Super-Sprint performance, surpassing even her own expectations on the day.
“It feels good to win. I came into the day not expecting I was going to get the podium, so that was fun to get,” said Aardema-Gagnon. “The swim was my favorite part of the race. I had a really good swim and I felt very strong.”
National Champions
Super-Sprint (400m swim / 7k bike / 2k run) — Ages 10–15
Age 10 | Female: Bella Peoples | Male: Joel Weinberger
Age 11 | Female: Rosa Gates | Male: Parker Stewart
Age 12 | Female: Finley Meadows | Male: Beckett Aardema-Gagnon
Age 13 | Female: Dorothy Weinberger | Male: Levo Gill
Age 14 | Female: No competitors | Male: Dylan Thompson
Age 15 | Female: Elletta Aardema-Gagnon | Male: Elijah Wagner
Sprint (750m swim / 14k bike / 5k run) — Ages 16–19
Age 16 | Female: Abby Dyer | Male: Anakin Powell
Age 17 | Female: Miriam Jacobsen | Male: Joren Aardema-Gagnon
Age 18 | Female: Issabella Accardi | Male: Gabe Doll
Age 19 | Female: Abigail Wales | Male: Lucas Wright
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, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
