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Results from 2010 Season

The Gulf Winds Triathlon Club ended another successful season in 2010 with members in all age groups gaining major successes in Florida, regional, national and world events. The club also conducted a grand prix that many club members participated in to earn points towards awards at the end of the year.

The club, sponsored by K-Swiss, grew to over 230 members ranging from ages six years to 75 years old. Members competed in all four triathlon distances.

The Grand Prix competition began in April 2010 with the local Tallahassee Red Hills Triathlon and ended with the Foster Grant Ford World 70.3 Championships in Clearwater Beach. In total, there were 120 events on the schedule for member’s to earn points.

In the Grand Prix Youth Under 12 division, Alex Bowman was tops participating in seven events picking up three seconds and three third place finishes. In the Under 16 age group Colin Abbey took top honors and a USA Triathlon Honorable Mention All-American ranking of 4th in the state and 29th nationally. He placed third at Red Hills and won the August Jacksonville sprint in a fast time of: 56:40 and then topped the list at the Ameliaman Olympic race in October at Amelia Island with a time of 2:16:10. In the Under 19 age group it was Colby Allen, who participated in five events, and took home a number 3 USAT state ranking. Allen, a freshman at Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers, won Red Hills and the North Florida Olympic race in Madison and got a 9th place finish in the USAT Age-Group championships at Tuscaloosa in an Olympic race time of 2:15:37.

In the Female 20-24 GP competition, 2009 GW Triathlete of the Year Shannon Coates led the way. Coates, a former FSU track star, earned USAT All-American honors finishing 4th at the ROHTO 70.3 at Walt Disney World in 4:57:53 and then topped her year with another 4th place finish at the Ford Ironman World Championships at Kona, HI in at time of 10:58:18. She also won the Florida Challenge International at Clermont in 5:45:05. Triathlon newcomer and former All-American soccer player Lauren Switzer took second in the age group winning the April Beach Blast Olympic in Mexico Beach in 2:15:55 and finishing 10th at the ROHTO in 5:40:51. She also took second at the prestigious Morton Plant Mease sprint at Sand Key with a time of 1:21:33.

In the Men’s 25-29 age group Frank Geraci took first place in Grand Prix events. He had four of six top ten finishes including winning Red Hills and finishing second at Tallahassee’s Tri the Rez sprint triathlon. Chris Warfel, who took first in the Beast of the East in Hiawassee, GA, sprint, finished second in the age group. On the female side of the age group Sandy Holt was number one. She had four top three finishes including a first at Red Hills and a second at Madiera Beach and second overall at Beach Blast September Olympic race. She also had a 12th place finish in her first Ironman at St. George UT and then another 12th place at Ironman Florida. She also competed in the 70.3 World’s in her hometown of Clearwater. Megan Mays finished second competing in five events, winning Tri the Rez and taking two other runner-up finishes. Kimberly Taylor was third getting four top ten finishes in six races.

2010 Male Triathlete of the Year and USAT All-American Charlie Johnson capped a great year winning the Male 30-34 age group in the Grand Prix and finishing with a number 3 state age group ranking. The club’s K-Swiss male ambassador competed in eight events including Ironman St. George where he finished 15th in 10:59:52 and 14th at Ironman Florida in 9:41:15. He also came in 7th at the Augusta 70.3 race in 4:23:48. He competed in the Foster Grant 70.3 World’s and finished that race in a time of 4:25:20. He came in first overall at the Beach Blast Olympic in September in the fastest time of the year by a GW triathlete of 1:55:18 earning him a Top Gun Award (fastest time in an event). He won Red Hills and Morton Plant Mease and was 11th in the Elite Division at Madeira Beach. Number two in the age group was 2009 Male Triathlete of the year Grady Smith. Smith entered two Ironman races and copped a 5th place at the Gulf Coast Half Ironman at Panama City Beach in 4:32:28. While not qualifying for a GP award due to a lack of events as a member, James Thompson took home the Top Gun Award for Ironman events with a time of 9:36:06 in Panama City Beach.

In the Female side of the 30-34 age group two top competitors had great years on the GP circuit. Seeley Gutierrez, K-Swiss female ambassador and Helen Libby Phipps were two of the top females competing in this age group this year. Gutierrez, who was ranked first in Florida and gained USAT All-American honors, won the Oschner Ironman 70.3 in New Orleans in 4:44:59 and finished 6th at the Foster Grant World’s in 4:40:32 which was the winning time for the Top Gun Award in the half Ironman category. She also was 7th at the USAT age-group championships in 2:13:20. She also finished second overall at Sandestin. In five GP events, Phipps, who was an honorable mention USAT All-American, finished with three first overalls winning top honors at Beach Blast 1&2 Olympic and White Sand. She also took the Top Gun Award for the ladies Olympic division with a best time of 2:04:42 at the April Beach Blast event. Third place in the age group went to Brook Pace. Pace, won Red Hills and Winnersville (Lake Park, GA) Olympic and was second overall at the Atlantic Coast Half Ironman at Amelia Island.

USAT All-American Chuck Kemeny led the 35-39 men’s age group. Kemeny won the Top Gun Award for his first place time of 4:16:15 at the ROHTO half Ironman race. He also won the grueling double Ironman championships in a time of 25hours and six minutes. He was also second overall male at Red Hills. Taking second in this age group was Mark Dazevedo who won the September Beach Blast Olympic and took 8th at the Grand Floridian Ironman at Clermont. Third went to Travis Blanton who entered four events including the Nautica New York City Olympic finishing in a respectable 2:22:21 and a 6th place at the Atlantic Coast half Ironman in 4:52:36. Kiko Cintron was the Top Gun Award winner for his: 51:14 time at the Nature Coast race in Crystal River.

The 35-39 female age group was led by USAT All-American Stephanie Liles. Liles was one of the top Gulf Winds competitors in the nation winning the Gulf Coast Half Ironman in 4:54:16 and finishing the Ironman World Championships in 10:57:29 for a top 25 finish and the Top Gun Award in the Female Ironman division. She also took 7th in the Elite division at Saint Anthony’s at St. Petersburg in 2:17:27. Audra Oven was second in the division finishing second at Red Hills and third at the Hammerhead sprint at Camp Blanding.

Sean Hudson took two thirds at Red Hills and Tri the Rez to win the 40-44 men’s age group. Second went to Dave Koppenhaver and third to Eric Baumer. On the women’s side, 2010 Female Triathlete of the Year Ann Bowman led all women in events entered in winning her age group. She finished nine Grand Prix races winning four overall first places, two seconds a second overall. Her 51:50 time in the Octoberfest Super Sprint in Hiawassee, GA, was the Top Gun Award winner in that category. Behind Bowman was Karen McBroom who won the Masters at Beach Blast September sprint and captured three other second place finishes. Sherrie Peavy was third winning White Sand in April and coming in second at Tri the Rez.

In the Men’s 45-49 age group, another Bowman led the way. USAT honorable mention All-American Jeff Bowman captured top honors in most events entered and top three finishes at 13. Of that total, Bowman had two first overalls, one masters overall, and three masters gold medals. He won Beach Blast sprint in April, Beast of the East overall male winner, Hiawassee, GA, Octoberfest male masters and a second place finish at the Atlantic Coast half Ironman in 4:59:32. Second place in the GP went to Mike Weyant who received USAT All-American honors as tops in the age group in Florida and Nationally. Weyant had two masters’ wins and a first overall winning the international Grand Floridian race at Clermont. Geoff Likens, who took a second at Tri the Rez and a 4th place at Atlantic Coast, was third.

Robin Safley headed the GP standings for the Female 45-49. One of the top long distance competitors, she finished 3rd at the Gulf Coast Half Ironman race in 5:40:06 and 7th in the 70.3 race in Augusta, GA in 5:16:44. She also was 12th at the Austin, TX Half Ironman in 5:42:56. She also won two overall third place medals at Beach Blast and the North Florida Olympic events. Second place in the age group went to Tammy Thompson. Thompson competed in eight events and had top four finishes in five of those races and won the masters division at White Sand. Lisa Cox was third with five top three finishes in eight events including first at Tri the Rez and second in the masters at Beach Blast September Olympic race. Loranne Ausley and Robin Gibson were right behind the leaders finishing strong over the season.

The Men’s 50-54 age group was one of the most competitive in the Gulf Winds Triathlon Club and in the Grand Prix. Allen Cox edged out Jay Herring, Jacksonville, and training partner Steve Steverson in a battle for first place. Cox had three firsts including Red Hills and a third overall masters. He finished 7th in the Memorial Hermann Half Ironman in Galveston,TX in 5:24:25 and 18th in the Florida Ironman in 10:53:14. Herring took first in the masters at the Hammerhead sprint and placed in the top five in nine events. Steverson finished 2nd at Red Hills and won three other events including the North Florida and Hammerhead Olympic races. Others who were just out of medal contention were Rob McNeely, Lee Scarboro, Steve Parker, and David Phillips.

Karen Munoz was tops in the Female 50-54 age group and Barbara McNeal was first in the Female 55-59 age group. McNeal took first at Sandestin and the Hammerhead Olympic and 4th at Austin 70.3 and 5th at Augusta 70.3. In the Male 55-59 Tim Warfel, who won the Beast of the East sprint was first and Peter Kerwin second.

Quincy’s Terry Presnell had a big year in the Male 60-64 age group finishing with three firsts and two runner-ups in six races. He was victorious at the Beaches Fine Arts race in Ponte Vedra Beach in May, Hammerhead Olympic and Tri the Rez. Second in the division went to Rob Cunningham who finished second at Tri the Rez and 7th at the Gulf Coast half Ironman. Jerry Chesnutt winner of the Beach Blast Olympic race in September was third. In the 65-69 Male age group George Desloge took top honors with wins at the North Florida Olympic and Tri the Rez events, and in the 75-79, Bob Keller won three tri sprint events, competed at the USAT age group duathlon championships and qualified for the world championships in Edinborough, Scotland, where he finished the race.

In the Under 40 Clydesdale division, Steve Padilla won taking three top three finishes including a first at Tri the Rez and seconds at the Beaches Fine Arts race in July and Red Hills. Second place went to Chris Waller with four top four finishes including a second at the September Beach Blast Olympic race. Third was Jamie Hanuka who had three top three finishes including a second place in the Beach Blast April Olympic event.

The Over 40 Clydesdale division was a battle between Bryan Desloge and Bill Dillon. Desloge ended with five top four finishes including winning Tri the Rez. Dillon took top honors at the Beach Blast September Olympic event. Third place was Allen Secreast who copped firsts at Red Hills and Beach Blast September sprint race.

Kelli Dillon took the gold medal in the Athena Division with four top four finishes including a runner-up at the Georgia Veterans Memorial sprint triathlon in Cordele.

Gulf Winds Triathlon Club
123 Main Street
Tallahassee, Florida 32311

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