Stone and Ellison take Olympic Distance Overall National Titles on Nationals Day 2
by USA Triathlon
The nation’s fastest amateur triathletes from across the United States started their morning racing the the 2023 USA Triathlon National Championships Olympic Distance race in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. With slightly overcast skies, the Male 30-34 age group was the first race of the day to plunge into Lake Michigan for the 1500 meter swim which is followed by a 40 kilometer bike and a 10 kilometer run. In all, 27 Olympic Distance National Champions were crowned, including 12 back-to-back National Champions, along with the Youth and Junior Mixed Relay National Champions.
The Overall Male National Champion, Benjamin Stone, is no stranger to the podium at USA Triathlon National Championships having also won the Overall title in 2021. After missing last year’s race, he came back this year to clinch the both the 25-29 title as well as the Overall in a time of 1 hour 51 minutes, 53 seconds, nearly 2 minutes ahead of the second place overall finisher, David Reynolds.
“"It feels great. I'm really happy to come back and win again,” said Stone, “After missing it last year, I had some FOMO, missing out on the opportunity to race. I'm really happy that I had the opportunity to come back and race against the best age group field in the U.S."
On the Women’s side, Ellison Wolfe, who placed fifth in Friday’s Junior Draft Legal Nationals race, secured both the Overall and 17-19 titles finishing in a time of 2:03:45, 37 seconds ahead of Joy Gill, who won the 20-24 Age Group National Title.
“It feels pretty good,” said Wolfe about her win, “I mean I'm the same person either way. It's nice to see my hard work pay off.”
In the Non-Binary category, Sebastian Dejong earned the National Title for the second year in a row, finishing almost 31 minutes ahead of second place finisher Sarah Meilen.
Brett Winkleman, a former NCAA Division I and professional basketball player turned Clydesdale triathlete, won the 39 and under Clydesdale division, finishing in a time of 2:26:15 finishing 11 minutes ahead of Samuel Roden.
“It's pretty awesome,” said Winkleman, “I used to play basketball, NCAA and professionally and I've used triathlon to get my competitive edge back. I've been getting better each year. I wanted a podium today and I was able to pull off the win today, so I'm pumped.”
“I love basketball,” said Winkleman when asked how he got into triathlon, “But I was ready to be done with basketball. I took three years off and I gained 40 pounds. I wanted to get into something to get me back into shape and that was triathlon. I found out triathlon has a Clydesdale division and that worked out perfect, because it's a good weight for me to compete.”
The top Athena athlete of the day was Rachel Clayton, who finished in a time of 2:47:01, winning the Athena 40-54 category.
The day finished off with the Junior and Elite Mixed Relay competition, which consisted of 50 four-member teams comprised of the top youth and junior athletes in the nation. Each team member completes a Super Sprint Triathlon (250 meter swim, 5 kilometer bike and a 1.2 kilometer run) before tagging in the next member of their team.
Team PP Boys and Alpha Girls, consisting of Carter Stuhlmacher, Clare Ann Dasso, Reese Vannerson, and Faith Dasso slid into an early lead gaining a 15 second gap over the field by the end of Stulmacher’s run. Eventual winners, Team Project MMTT, consisting of Sullivan Middaugh, Naomi Ruff, Luke Anthony, and Britney Brown had over four minutes to make up when Ruff dove into Lake Michigan. By the end of her leg, they had overtaken Team PP and Alpha Girls and had a slight 5 second gap heading into Anthony’s leg. Stuhlmacher, Vannerson, Anthony and Middaugh are all members of USA Triathlon’s elite development squad, Project Podium.
“I didn't know positioning-wise what was going to happen as the third leg of the relay,” said Anthony about heading into his leg, “So basically (the strategy was) just go as hard as you can, as long as you can and set Britney up for a solo day out there."
By the time Brown entered the water, the gap had grown to 33 seconds. Brown was able to hold off Faith Dasso and crossed the finish line 36 seconds ahead with a total team time of 1:10:50.
2023 USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance National Championships
1,500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run — Complete Results
Overall Female:
Ellison Wolfe, Columbia, Penn. (Yoder Performance) 2:03:45
Overall Male:
Benjamin Stone, Indianapolis, Ind. 1:51:53
Masters Female:
Kirsten Sass, McKenzie, Tenn. 2:11:58
Masters Male:
Christopher Naimoli, Philadelphia, Penn. 1:58:20
Grand Masters Female:
Juliana Nievergelt, Mount Pleasant, S.C.2:25:29
Grand Masters Male:
Sean Richardson, Palos Verdes Penninsula, Calif.2:10:37
Non-Binary:
Sebastien Dejong* Indanapolis, Ind. 4:56:20
Athena 55 and over:
Stacey Zapolski, Davenport, Iowa 3:17:36
Clydesdale 60 and over:
Dave Fish Reno, Nev. 2:49:57
Athena 40-54:
Rachel Clayton, Reston, Va.2:47:01
Clydesdale 40-54:
Ben Hokanson, Zimmerman, Minn. 2:23:00
Athena 39 and under:
Katherine Sievers, Redmond, Wash. 2:53:51
Clydesdale 39 and under:
Brett Winkelman, Fargo N.D.2:26:15
Female 17-19:
Ellison Wolfe, Columbia, Penn. (Yoder Performance) 2:03:45
Male 17-19:
Ben Resler, Greensboro, N.C. 2:00:47
Female 20-24:
Joy Gill, Shavano Park, Tex. 2:04:23
Male 20-24:
David Reynolds* Andover, N.H.1:53:52
Female 25-29:
Rachel Werking, Elm Grove, Wisc. 2:08:30
Male 25-29:
Benjamin Stone, Indianapolis, Ind. 1:51:53
Female 30-34:
Madeleine Blain, Milton, Wisc.2:13:58
Male 30-34:
Todd Buckingham* Wyoming, Mich. 1:55:59
Female 35-39:
Dani Fischer* Indianapolis, Ind.2:07:28
Male 35-39:
Derek Jakoboski, Warwick, R.I.1:53:58
Female 40-44:
Kirsten Sass* McKenzie, Tenn. 2:11:58
Male 40-44:
Christopher Naimoli, Philadelphia, Penn. 1:58:20
Femle 45-49:
Jessica Holmes* Natick, Mass.2:18:05
Male 45-49:
James Hallberg, Longmont, Colo.2:02:26
Female 50-54:
Becky Paige* Maynard, Mass.2:14:51
Male 50-54:
Mike Sooder, Reno, Nev. 2:02:43
Female 55-59:
Steph Popelar* Elizabeth, Colo. 2:17:55
Male 55-59:
Jeff Gordon, Gainesville, Ga.2:07:05
Female 60-64:
Juliana Nievergelt* Mount Pleasant, S.C.2:25:29
Male 60-64:
Sean Richardson* Palos Verdes Penninsula, Calif.2:10:37
Female 65-69:
Julie Billingsly, Chevy Chase, Md. 2:35:42
Male 65-69:
Tony Schiller, Whitefish, Mt. 2:18:43
Female 70-74:
Missy Lestrange, Visalia, Calif. 2:52:50
Male 70-74:
John Estes Littleton, Colo. 2:15:13
Female 75-79:
Kathryn Wiberg* West Boylston, Mass. 3:10:24
Male 75-79:
Bob Sanderson, Hays, Kan. 2:53:13
Female 80-84:
Peggy McDowell-Cramer* Santa Monica, Calif. 4:03:19
Male 80-84:
Robert Plant, Woodside, Calif. 3:00:01
The racing continues Sunday for adult triathletes with the qualification-based Sprint National Championships, held on a 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run course.
Following will be the youth age group races for athletes 13-18. Athletes will cover a 300m swim, non-drafting 10k bike and 2.5k run.