6th US Single Distance Championships

The 2016 US Masters Nationals & World Open Championships was again hosted at the Pettit National Ice Center (PNIC) Olympic Oval in Milwaukee, WI. 40 combined Master age skaters from the USA, Canada, Romania, and the anxiously anticipated Mongolian Speed Skating Team were in attendance for some fast and ferocious skating. Master’s divisions are set into 5-year age groups. This year a “World Open” division was added to support our international and historically “out of competition” skaters when it was a USA only event. This competition uses the  single distance format featuring 500M x 2 samalog, 1000M, 1500M, 3000M, and 5000M. This event was appreciatively sponsored by The Skatenow Shop (www.theskatenowshop.com), Suzy Osum real estate, and massage therapist Jayne Ader, who helped quite a few skaters set up their champion performances.

Women

USA’s Melissa Dahlmann (F30) and Jennifer Kirsch (F35) both earned US national titles in the 500M, 1000M, 1500M and 3000M. Both were paired with men and faced each other only when it came time for the fireworks to fly in the 3000M. Both women had previously raced within .6-2 seconds of the Master WR (World Record).  Jennifer started faster than Melissa by about a second through the first 1800 meters. Melissa hung tough, and the race began to inexorably tighten as they got to 2600 meters and a chance to break their respective WR. One gut driven lap later, they missed the WR by .9 and 2.5 seconds. However their blazing performances and marquee duel made a fantastic championship caliber match.

Genevieve Provencher (F40) of Canada shattered a few personal bests with improved and streamlined form on her way to 4 World Open race championships from 500M-3000M.

Kathy Feinberg (F50) raced to 4 US championships from 500M to 3000M. However Julie Houle (F50) of Canada also raced her in the World Open division. Houle prevailed in the 500M and 1000M,while K. Feinberg dominated in the 1500M and 3000M races.

Erdenetuya NYAMBUU (F55) of Mongolia raced to World Open titles in the 500M, 1000M, and 1500M. Her international peers enthusiastically cheered and supported her racing, and we hope to see more of her and the rest of the Mongolian speed skating team in these competitions

Marian Furst (F65), USA, and Colleen Lynch (F70), Canada were the grandest women competing. Both raced to US and World Open championships in their races. Lynch posted times that are 2^nd in the world. However, Furst had another agenda as she endeavored to become the oldest woman on the record books to race  the 5000M in competition. Furst’s performance was reminiscent of watching great athletes historically swimming the English Channel. Furst’s performance clocked  a successful 5000M that was classically consistent in lap splits. Congratulations to a speed skating pioneer.

Men

USA’s Chris LaPointe (M30), and Peter Macky (M30) battled to  championships in the 500M, 1000M, &1500M. Macky was the US champion in those three events, and then added a speedy 5000M championship. Chris raced to the 3000M national title.

Mongolia’s Sansarbileg BOLD raced to World Open championships at 500M, 1000M, and 1500M. Bold is over 181 cm tall and around 100kg. He puts a LOT of power into the ice and moves more like a graceful tiger on the ice than a bull on skates. Hope to see more of Bold in speed skating competition.

Canadian Alex Audy (M40) battled the USA’s Dave Tamburrino, Masahiko Yanagihara, Michael Pereckas, and Matthew Lint, all M40. Tamburrino, a 1994 and 1998 Olympian blazed to season best times and national and world open championships in the 500M, 1000M, 1500M, and 5000M. Tamburrino was so fast that even his paired competitor in the 500M,Yanagihara, skated to season best times. “Tambo” also gave the fastest 1500M of the entire event. Yanagihara raced to second in those same categories except the World Open 5000M. Audy raced to a speedy second place and PNIC personal best (PB). Pereckas secured his first national speed skating championship with a steady and determined performance at 3000M. Lints earned the bronze position for his performance in the 500M and 1000M.

Firefighter Lawrence Kaufmann (M45) performed fast enough to become the national 500M, 1000M, 1500M, and 3000M champion. Romania’s Octavian Moga raced so hard that he took  several seconds off his 5000M and became the World Open champion .

In the large M50 group,  Canadian speed skaters Richard Normand and Larry Magliore earned medals in the World Open division for their performances. USA’s Peter Hausseler, Daniel Greene, Bruce Anderson, Glenn Corso, Martin Haire, and Theron Sands each put in all out, gut busting performances to get on the podium in at least one race in these championships. Haire raced to 500M, and 1000M national and world open championships. Sands raced hard,  picking up the 1500M championship on Day I, but has been focused on officially setting the WR. Sands exceeded the WR twice this season before this race. When the starter’s gun went off, Sands sped off the line to the background music of George Thorogood’s “I’m Bad To The Bone” over the air. With a 31 second first lap split, some feared that might be too fast and cause early exhaustion for Sands attempt. Loud support from legendary coach Bob Fenn and Olympian Erik Henrikssen, as well as Sands remarkable capacity for hard work in a race prevailed. His 6:59:xx was over 2 seconds beneath the WR. Congratulations to Sands.

The M55 group boasted USA’s Nathan Feinberg, Matthew Trimble,  Scott Nelson, and Jeff Terwilliger. Minnesota’s Trimble and Terwilliger battled each other in separate races until their showdown in the 3000M. Starting even;y at 200M, Terwilliger set up a hot pace that ended up taking 7 seconds off his PB and the national title. He would also win the 1000M and 1500M. Trimble powered his way to the 500m national title. Feinberg raced to the 5000M national title. Nelson’s performances earned him medals in two events this championships

In the M60 grouping, Canadian Ross Hanham battled against USA’s Greg Oly, Bob Dvorak, and Mark Nolan. Each skater reached the podium in either the US National Championship or the World Open for one race or another. Nolan and Dvorak raced to PB’s. Hanham collected world open bronze and seemed surprised, even though he also set PB’s. Oly was the class of the field, however by winning national and world open championships in every race from 500M to 3000M. Oly is a multiple time pack style champion, so speed skating victories are a familiar force in his life.

In the M65 grouping, USA comprised this entire filed when Canadian Brett Arnason was unable to attend due to health. WR holder John Diemont, Vince Morris, and Gary Groen battled for age group supremacy. Diemont blazed to a really fast 500M national championship. Morris added a national title on the distance event  end at 5000M, after recovering from a bad fall in his 1000M earlier that day. Groen took bronzes to earn a podium spot, along with silver at 1000M.

M85 speed skater Joseph “Superjoe” Kello was an undeterred force. He battled not only the race clock, but Kello also defies the biological clock in his pursuit of the 500M WR. He missed it this time around, but vows he will still be competing and training for an M90 WR 500M assault. We hope he does it in Milwaukee at the PNIC.

Many thanks to all the timing officials, chief referee Jim White and assistant referee Karen Street, lap counters, arm band support, PNIC staff, and athlete and speed skating friends for making the 2016 US Master Nationals and World Open happen.

Final protocol available here: 6th us single distances championships – final protocol.pdf

Olusegun Sijuwade

414.248.2720

superhumanprogram@gmail.com