500M<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Saturday’s500M samalog races started with 85 year old Joseph Kello making his first attempt on the world record for his age category. Joseph doesn’t get any long track ice time in prior to coming to this event, so the PNIC was his first of the season. He skated hard and ultimately missed the record, but not without firing up the skaters to follow with his determination. Kello, aka \u201cSuper Joe\u201d, did earn the 500M national title.<\/span><\/p>\n Melissa Dahlmann (F30), Diane Kaeser (F35), Diane Crossfield (F60), and Kathy Feinberg (F50) raced uncontested to their 500M national titles, with Diane setting a PB (personal best) along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n Silvia Acevedo (F40) won the 500M national title, although she was often paired with her pack-style rival Melissa Koenig. Valerie Sarbu, racing in her first PNIC competition would win silver.<\/span><\/p>\n Melissa Koenig (F45) took the 500M national title, with her teammate from Illinois, Janet Naess, taking silver.<\/span><\/p>\n Masahiko Yanagihara (M35), whose training base is the fabled Lake Placid oval (site of the 1980 Eric Heiden Olympic mastery) came to Milwaukee to go fast. He was the top seed at 500M, and was paired with up and coming Stefan Jackowniak. Masahiko and Jackowniak were close on the opening 100M. Coming out of corner three, however, Jackowniak slid and crashed into the pads from the outer lane. In the second 500M, Jackowniak finished this time, earning a bronze to Michael Kemp’s silver and national champion Masahiko’s gold.<\/span><\/p>\n Michael Pereckas (M40), and Nathan Feinberg (55) were uncontested national champions. However, these skaters are highly competitive and chase after their pair or the clock in every event.<\/span><\/p>\n Larry Kaufman (M45) won the 500M national title, and continues to set PB’s almost every time he competes in his first season of long track speedskating. Scott Schuyler, normally a short track skater, brought in silver in close fashion to Kaufman, and veteran Brian Yunker secured bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n Theron Sands (M50), who has been leading the world in the 5000M events won the 500M title with two consecutive PB’son Saturday. Glenn Corso was a strong silver contender, and Bruce Anderson took bronze while getting a PB in the 1000m.<\/span><\/p>\n Greg Oly (M60) was the national 500M champion with two very strong performances for the season. Bob Dvorak’ PB’s in the 500M earned him a silver and MD Gary Martin operated his way to bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n John Diemont (M65) won the 500M national title against his formidable rival Vince Morris, who took silver. Both skaters set fast times. Gary Groen took the bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1500M<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Melissa Dahlman, Diane Kaeser, Kathy Feinberg, and Diane Crossfield secured national titles in the 1500M. Kaeser also got a PNIC PB with her national title.<\/span><\/p>\n Silvia Acevedo powered to the 1500M national title, and Sarbu took silver with a PB.<\/span><\/p>\n Melissa and Janet battled in the 1500, and this time, Janet took the national title with a PB time. Melissa finished just 0.07 behind for silver.<\/span><\/p>\n Masahiko hammered until he took his second national title of the day. Jacowniak scratched in the 1500. After this reshuffling, Michael Kemp raced his way to silver.<\/span><\/p>\n Pereckas and Feinberg were uncontested 1500M national champions.<\/span><\/p>\n Fire fighter Larry Kaufmann put down enough speed for another national title with this 1500M PB effort. Schuyler also got a PB on is way to silver. Yunker secured a bronze for his racing.<\/span><\/p>\n Sands, the number one 1500M seed backed up his positioning with a national title effort that was less than a second off his fastest. Corso put his own blazing 1500M time for silver. Jeffrey Terwilliger took bronze with a PB in a very crowded age group.<\/span><\/p>\n Oly skated near his season best for his second national title today. Bob Dvorak PB performance gave him the silver in this event. Martin took bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n The intense competitive rivalry between Diemont and Morris only intensified as Morris took the 1500M title today. Diemont was 0.06 seconds behind for silver. Gary Groen fought to a well earned bronze podium finish.<\/span><\/p>\n Day 2<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n 1000M<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Melissa Dahlmann, Kaeser, Crossfield, and K. Feinberg earned the 1000M national title in this first event of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n Silvia’s PB was enough for her third national title. Sarbu also got a PB in winning the silver medal.<\/span><\/p>\n Melissa Koening sprinted to her second national title this weekend. Janet Naess took silver while racing near her season best time.<\/span><\/p>\n Mashahiko wanted to race faster (don’t we all?), but his time was still great enough for his third national title. Jackowniak recovered enough from his earlier 500M crash to get silver. Michael Kemp earned bronze for his PB performance.<\/span><\/p>\n Pereckas, Nathan Feinberg, and \u201cSuper Joe\u201d Kello were uncontested but genuine national champions after 1000M.<\/span><\/p>\n Scott Shuyler took the national title with the closest gold effort of the meet, winning by just 0.07 seconds over silver medalist Larry Kaufmann. Both set PB’s. Yunker was the bronze medalist.<\/span><\/p>\n Sands, the top seed at 1000M cultivated it with another national title and PB. Corso raced to silver in good time. Minnesotan Terwilliger took silver with a PB effort.<\/span><\/p>\n Oly was dominating in his national title victory. Dvorak took silver with a very strong race. Martin took bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n John Diemont pulled out another national title victory over Vince Morris in this 1000M event. Groen’s performance gave him another bronze podium.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 3000M<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Melissa Dahlmann was 6 seconds off her PB, which is also just tenths away from the world record. She still got a national title, along with Silvia (only .3 seconds away from her PB), and Kathy Feinberg.<\/span><\/p>\n Janet Naess and Melissa Koenig’s rivalry continued in this 3000M dramatic pairing and showdown. Janet was able to keep track of Melissa each lap, and in the end it was Naess’ race to get her another national title. Melissa was a very competitive silver in this race.<\/span><\/p>\n Masahiko is probably more accustomed to sprinting, but he was still strong enough to take his final national title at 3000M. Michael Kemp, new to competition got another silver medal for his racing at this meet.<\/span><\/p>\n Pereckas won his fourth uncontested national title at 3000M.<\/span><\/p>\n Larry Kaufmann rested enough from his 1000M race to focus on winning the 3000M national title, 30 seconds ahead of his division rivals. Schuyler took silver with his PB effort and first 3000M long track race. Yunker finished with bronze.<\/span><\/p>\n Jeffrey Terwilliger got the national title for 3000M, 16 seconds ahead of his division rivals. Fellow statesman Bruce Anderson took silver, and both set PB’s in this race.<\/span><\/p>\n Dvorak also set a PB on his way to the gold medal and his 3000M national title. Close behind by less than 2 seconds was Martin in silver, and Nolan raced to a bronze podium at 3000M.<\/span><\/p>\n John Diemont set a PNIC PB of4:59when he won his third national title this championships. Gary Groen took bronze with his race effort.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 5000M<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Greg Oly, Vince Morris, and Nathan Feinberg were \u201cuncontested\u201d in this 5000M super race. However, these skaters still go after the clock, with Greg getting a PNIC PB. Although Morris and Oly were national champions, Feinberg missed a lane change early into his race which caused his eventual disqualification.<\/span><\/p>\n Theron Sands and Glenn Corso went head to head in this ultimate distance. Sands, who was seeking the world record, started the first 6 laps on target. Although he missed the world record, he still got a season best and the national title. Corso also blazed to his silver medal with a PNIC PB performance.<\/span><\/p>\n Also competing and getting PB’s were Canadians Gail Bouchette, John Pillar, Larry Magliore, and Germany’s Stefan Heinemann. Each skater got at least one PB or season best during this competition. Of course their presence makes the validation of any world record attempt possible.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks to all the officials: Kathleen Knudson, Julianna, Mauri Miller, Peter, Butch Pearson, deck timing and protocols Althea Pearson, Al Jakubowski, administrative support Trevor Marsicano, announcer Jeff Brand, Valerie Sarbu, Rebecca, David Skoda, and PNIC staff for making this 2015 US Masters National Championships possible.<\/span><\/p>\n Many thanks to our sponsors and supporters: SkateNow from Salt Lake City, UT, Suzy Osum of Shorewest Real Estate, and<\/span>Integrated Sport and Spine – Clinic of Madison LLC<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to Speedskatingresults.com for posting our results at:<\/span><\/p>\n http:\/\/www.speedskatingresults.com\/index.php?p=2&e=13445<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n See race video at:<\/span><\/p>\n Day I <\/span>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3XdzSX617WQ<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
![\"USSDCH](\"images\/USSDCH_2015_2.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\n![\"USSDCH](\"images\/USSDCH_2015_1.jpg\")
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