Justin Lippert, 22, of Middletown, New Kersey and Gabrielle Bunten, 26, of Forest Lake, Minnesota won the overall men’s and women's titles at the USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio.

Lippert completed the 1.5 kilometer swim, 40 kilometer bike leg and 10 kilometer run in a time of 1:59:29 with a 42 seconds margin of victory in the overall and in the men’s 20-24 division over Matthew Murray of Pearland, Texas.

Nicholas Noone, of Boulder, Colorado finished 1:16 behind Lippert while taking 3rd overall and in the men’s 20-24 category.

“I just went full send on the bike,” Lippert told USA Triathlon media. “My phrase for the day was, ‘Are you going full send right now?’ So, every 5-10 minutes, I’d do that mental check — ‘Are you going full send? No? Well, let’s go.’”

Bunten finished in 2:13:39 to win women’s 20-24 category and the overall by a 1:11 margin over Laura McDonald of Castle Rock, Colorado, who won the women’s 35-39 category.

“I had no expectations coming in,” said Bunten. “All these girls out here are wicked fast. Of course, I hoped I’d do well — but I never try to put an expectation on placing, because you never know if someone else is going to show up and do amazing.”

Kim Webster of Framingham, Massachusetts finished in 2:15:21 to take 3rd overall woman and win the women’s 40-44 category.

Webster thus won the Women’s Masters crown by a 1:55 margin over Samantha Bird of Burke, Maryland. Scott Erba of Winona Lake, Indiana won the Men’s Masters title and the Men’s 45-49 category with a 2:07:07 performance which was 1:13 ahead of 2017 USA Triathlon Masters champion Tim Hola of Highlands Ranch, who won the men’s 40-44 category.

Kelly Dippold of Olathe, Kansas won the women’s Grand Master title for the second consecutive year in a time of 2:22:43. Tony Schiller of Eden Prairie, Minnesota finished 2:13:44 to take the men’s Grand Masters title in 2:13:44.

USA Triathlon’s 35th National Championship event was attended by 5,400 amateur triathletes, the second largest field in the event’s history.

The day was marred by the death of Jim Hix, 75, of Claremore, Oklahoma, during the swim leg. “Our sport lost a member of its beloved community and we extend our heartfelt condolences to Jim’s wife, Ann, his family and friends,” said USA Triathlon CEO Rocky Harris. “As one of the nation’s top multisport athletes in his age group, Jim and USA Triathlon shared a close relationship and his passing is particularly difficult.” Hix was the 2017 USA Triathlon Duathlon National Champion in the men’s 75-79 age group and he has represented the U.S. at the ITU Age Group World Championships.

USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals
Cleveland, Ohio
August 11, 2018
S 1.5k / B 40k / R 10k

Overall Men

1. Justin Lippert (Middletown NJ) 1:59:29 S 26:08 T1 2:19 B 56:27 T2 1:04 R 33:33 * M20-24
2. Matthew Murray (Pearland TX) 2:00:11 S 24:43 T1 2:41 B 57:57 T2 1:12 R 33:40 * M20-24
3. Nicholas Noone (Boulder CO) 2:00:45 S 23:47 T1 2:35 B 57:20 T2 1:18 R 35:48 * M20-24
4. Jordan Bailey (Decatur GA) 2:00:55 S 24:54 T1 2:58 B 56:20 T2 1:20 R 35:24 * M30-34
5. Vant Lammers (Cleveland Heights OH) 2:01:19 S 25:04 T1 2:51 B 57:21 T2 1:22 R 34:45 * M30-34
6. Neal Ross 2:01:47 S 24:38 T1 3:05 B 57:35 T2 1:24 R 35:07 * M30-34
7. Todd Buckingham (Big Rapids MI) 2:01:53 S 25:44 T1 2:26 B 58:33 T2 1:07 R 34:05 * M25-29
8. Louis Levine (Frederick MD) 2:02:29 S 24:31 T1 3:14 B 59:01 T2 1:36 R 34:09 * M20-24
9. Michael Phinney (Yardley PA) 2:02:30 S 24:52 T1 2:29 B 57:35 T2 1:01 R 36:34 * M35-39
10. Matt McWilliams (Erie PA) 2:02:32 S 28:02 T1 3:11 B 56:30 T2 1:35 R 33:16 * M25-29

Overall Women

1. Gabrielle Bunten (Forest Lake MN ) 2:13:39 S 25:55 T1 2:54 B 1:04:00 T2 1:21 R 39:31 * F25-29
2. Laura McDonald (Castle Rock CO) 2:14:50 S 26:53 T1 3:15 B 1:02:49 T2 1:38 R 40:18 * F35-39
3. Kim Webster (Framingham MA) 2:15:21 S 30:42 T1 3:09 B 1:01:56 T2 1:43 R 37:52.* F40-44
4. Grace Alexander (Boise ID) 2:15:51 S 25:29 T1 3:05 B 1:04:37 T2 1:17 R 41:25 * F25-29
5. Kirsten Sass (McKenzie TN) 2:16:03 S 28:54 T1 3:00 B 1:01:51 T2 1:31 R 40:49 * F35-39
6. Stephanie Knast (Philadelphia PA) 2:16:05 S 29:09 T1 3:22 B 1:04:25 T2 1:22 R 37:49 * F25-29
7. Tess Mattern (Fort Collins CO) 2:16:39 S 24:38 T1 2:59 B 1:06:04 T2 1:20 R 41:41 * F30-34
8. Elizabeth Vermann (St. Louis MO) 2:16:43 S 27:39 T1 3:16 B 1:02:28 T2 1:23 R 42:00 * F30-34
9. Rachel Mensch 2:16:46 S 25:54 T1 3:23 B 1:03:24 T2 1:27 R 42:39 * F25-29
10. Megan Martin 2:17:01 S 24:01 B 1:05:22 T2 1:35 R 42:41 * F 35-39
Samantha Bird (Burke MD) 2:17:16 S 25:25 T1 3:30 B 1:04:08 T2 1:44 R 42:32 * F40-44

Masters Men

1. Scott Erba (Winona Lake IN) 2:07:07 S 24:19 T1 2:54 B 1:01:37 T2 1:23 R 36:56 * M45-49
2. Tim Hola (Highlands Ranch CO) 2:08:20 S 24:29 T1 2:44 B 1:00:57 T2 1:09 R 39:03 * M40-44
3. Ryan Hadley 2:09:01 S 26:10 T1 3:34 T2 1:34 R 38:10 * M40-44

Masters Women

1. Kim Webster (Framingham MA) 2:15:21 S 30:42 T1 3:09 B 1:01:56 T2 1:43 R 37:52.* F40-44
2. Samantha Bird (Burke MD) 2:17:16 S 25:25 T1 3:30 B 1:04:08 T2 1:44 R 42:32 * F40-44
3. Jennifer Reschke (Geneseo NY) 2:18:16 S 28:27 T1 3:57 B 1:01:14 T2 1:55 R 42:46 * F40-44

Age Group winners

Men

M 17-19Shea Milke (Bellingham WA) 2:05:45
M20-24Justin Lippert (Middletown NJ) 1:59:29
M25-29Todd Buckingham (Big Rapids MI) 2:01:53
M30-34Jordan Bailey (Decatur GA) 2:00:55
M35-39Michael Phinney (Yardley PA) 2:02:30
M40-44Tim Hola (Highlands Ranch CO) 2:08:20
M45-49Scott Erba (Winona Lake IN) 2:07:07
M50-54Stephen Bosic (Waltham MA) 2:12:11
M55-59Lee Walther (Oklahoma City OK) 2:10:01
M60-64Tony Schiller (Eden Prairie MN) 2:13:44
M65-69Jim Bruskewitz (Boulder CO) 2:20:23
M70-74Charles Perez (Englewood CO) 2:33:34
M75-79 Robert Plant (Woodside CA) 2:53:27
M80-84Don Nelson (Tulsa OK) 3:59:08

Women

F17-19Mathilde Bernard (Colorado Springs CO) 2:20:31
F20-24Abbie Sullivan (Canandaigua NY) 2:18:16
F25-29Gabrielle Bunten (Forest Lake MN) 2:13:39
F30-34Tess Mattern (Fort Collins CO) 2:16:39
F35-39Laura McDonald (Castle Rock CO) 2:14:50
F40-44Kim Webster (Framingham MA) 2:15:21
F45-49Tracy Kellner (Mequon WI) 2:20:39
F50-54Linda Robb (Juno Beach FL) 2:22:34
F55-59Kelly Dippold (Olathe KS) 2:22:43
F60-64Carol Gephart (Hamilton MI) 2:30:04
F65-69Judith Laney (Denver CO) 2:41:44
F70-74Nancy Avitabile (Bethesda MD) 3:09:04
F75-79 Sibyl Jacobson (New York NY) 3:37:46