Status Update on Hunter Kemper Following Injury

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:44:06 -0600

Kemper Suffers Broken Elbow, To Be Replaced by Manny Huerta at Pan Am Games

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:38:21 -0600

Hunter Kemper Wins The Janus Charity Challenge People's Choice Awards

Thu, 6 Oct 2011 10:50:27 -0600

Olympians Kemper, Bennett Earn USA Triathlon Elite National Titles

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:08:50 -0600

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Three-time Olympian Hunter Kemper won a record seventh career men’s elite national title, and Beijing Olympian Laura Bennett earned her third women’s crown Saturday at the USA Triathlon Elite National Championship, held in conjunction with the Nickel City Triathlon at Gallagher Beach.
Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.) claimed his first elite national title since 2006 in 1 hour, 48 minutes, 24 seconds, tying him with Karen Smyers for a record number of USA Triathlon Elite National Championship victories — regardless of gender.
 “It feels good to have seven,” Kemper said. “It’s kind of special — the fact that I’ve overcome a lot and gotten through a lot in the past couple years.”
Bennett (Boulder, Colo.) defended her 2010 title with a time of 1:59:37 on the 1.5-kilometer swim, 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run course.
The event, which featured an international field of nearly 100 athletes, also served as the Buffalo ITU Pan American Cup and the fourth of five stops of the 2011 USA Triathlon Elite Race Series.
2011 ITU World Championship Series winner Helen Jenkins of Great Britain finished just behind Bennett in 1:59:44, and 2012 U.S. Olympic qualifier Gwen Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.) was the second American and third overall in 2:03:50. Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.) placed fifth overall and rounded out the national championship podium as the No. 3 American.
Great Britain’s Ritchie Nicholls was second overall on the men’s side with a time of 1:49:05. Kaleb VanOrt (Mishawaka, Ind.) crossed the line as the No. 2 U.S. finisher and third overall in 1:49:17. Defending national champion Jarrod Shoemaker (Maynard, Mass.) was the third American and fifth overall.
Shiver and Greg Billington (Colorado Springs, Colo.) won the under-23 national titles after each finished fourth at the ITU U23 World Championship in Beijing, China, two weeks ago.
Following the inaugural Nickel City Triathlon Saturday morning, the elite women got their start in Lake Erie at 11 a.m. Bennett and Jenkins maintained control of the field from start to finish, leading into the first transition and lengthening their lead with each lap of the eight-loop bike course.
Bennett and Jenkins stayed together stride-for-stride on the run until the last lap, where Bennett made her move to take the win. “We did work very well together — a lot of teamwork out there,” Bennett said. “I couldn’t have done it without her today.”
Jorgensen was part of a 15-woman chase pack on the bike before a crash set her back a few minutes. Despite the crash she managed to close the gap with her 36:04 10k run split to make the podium. “I was just trying to look ahead, trying to give it everything I had,” said Jorgensen, who claimed her 2012 Olympic spot last month in London.
The men’s race was a close contest from start to finish. Dustin McLarty (Irvine, Calif.) and Canada’s Jon Bird led the way out of the water but were quickly caught by five others, including Kemper.
The lead pack of seven maintained a distance of more than a minute over the chase pack of 28. “The swim was challenging, but we got away on the swim — a couple of us — and worked really hard on the bike today,” Kemper said. “The race was totally won on the bike.”
Even with a combined 10 elite national championships under their belts, Bennett and Kemper are focusing on the races ahead. “It is pretty special to be a national champion that many times over,” said Bennett. “Being a world champion would be even better than that. Maybe now after having a couple nationals, I can get up there with the world and stay on top.”
A $75,000 total prize purse, which included $25,000 for the top five American finishers, was on the line for the elites with $6,250 going to the top male and female finisher. An additional $3,750 went go to the top U.S. male and female.
The USA Triathlon Elite Race Series is a domestic, five-event series that delivers an opportunity for the nation’s top Olympic-distance triathletes to compete for $275,000 in prize money and a series title — all while honing the draft-legal racing skills necessary to challenge for the podium at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Bennett and Kemper each earned 50 Elite Race Series points with their victories in Buffalo. Updated series standings will be available next week at usatriathlon.org.
The five events that comprise the series are in Clermont, Fla. (March 5), Monroe, Wash. (June 25), San Francisco, Calif. (July 9), Buffalo, N.Y. (Sept. 24) and Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Oct. 9).
 2011 Buffalo ITU Pan American Cup 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run Women's Results - Click here for complete results
1. Laura Bennett (Boulder, Colo.), 1:59:37 ($6,250 + $3750) 2. Helen Jenkins (GBR), 1:59:44 ($5,000) 3. Gwen Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.), 2:03:50 ($3,750 + $3,125) 4. Charlotte McShane (AUS), 2:04:14 ($2,500) 5. Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.), 2:05:12 ($2,000 + $2,250) 6. Jenna Parker (Santa Monica, Calif.), 2:05:58 ($1,750 + $1,875) 7. Amanda Felder (Cupertino, Calif.), 2:06:36 ($1,500 + $1,500) 8. Jessica Broderick (Middlebury, Conn.), 2:06:53 ($1,000) 9. Jennifer Spieldenner (Findlay, Ohio), 2:07:33 ($750) 10. Manon Letourneau (CAN), 2:08:05 ($500)  Men's Results - Click here for complete results 1. Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:48:24 ($6,250 + $3750) 2. Ritchie Nicholls (GBR), 1:49:05 ($5,000) 3. Kaleb VanOrt (Mishawaka, Ind.), 1:49:17 ($3,750 + $3,125) 4. Andrew Yorke (CAN), 1:49:26 ($2,500) 5. Jarrod Shoemaker (Maynard, Mass.), 1:50:45 ($2,000 + $2,250) 6. Greg Billington (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:50:55 ($1,750 + $1,875) 7. Bryce McMaster (AUS), 1:51:01 ($1,500) 8. Steve Sexton (Pilot Hill, Calif.), 1:51:13 ($1,000 + $1,500) 9. Marc Jenkins (GBR), 1:51:15 ($750) 10. Brian Fleischmann (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:51:25 ($500)
2011 USA Triathlon Elite National Championship, Buffalo, N.Y. Women's Results 1. Laura Bennett (Boulder, Colo.), 1:59:37 2. Gwen Jorgensen (Milwaukee, Wis.), 2:03:50 3. Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.), 2:05:12 4. Jenna Parker (Santa Monica, Calif.), 2:05:58 5. Amanda Felder (Cupertino, Calif.), 2:06:36
Men's Results 1. Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:48:24 2. Kaleb VanOrt (Mishawaka, Ind.), 1:49:17 3. Jarrod Shoemaker (Maynard, Mass.), 1:50:45 4. Greg Billington (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:50:55 5. Steve Sexton (Pilot Hill, Calif.), 1:51:13
Women’s Under-23 1. Kaitlin Shiver (Satellite Beach, Fla.), 2:05:12 2. Jessica Broderick (Middlebury, Conn.), 2:06:53 3. Lauren Goldstein-Kral (Shaker Heights, Ohio), 2:08:28
Men’s Under-23 1. Greg Billington (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:50:55 2. William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas), 1:51:32

United States' Kemper, Verzbicas Shine in Edmonton

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:35:10 -0600

EDMONTON, Canada — Three-time Olympian and USA Triathlon National Team member Hunter Kemper earned bronze in the ITU World Cup event, and Lukas Verzbicas’ victory led a strong showing for the U.S. in the PATCO Pan American Junior Championships to highlight a full day of multisport action Sunday in Edmonton.

Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.) logged a time of 1 hour, 46 minutes, 54 seconds in the Olympic-distance event to finish just seven seconds off the pace of New Zealand’s Bevan Docherty, who took the win in 1:46:47. France’s Aurélien Lescure was second.

Kemper, who notched his third ITU World Cup podium of the year, battled his way through the two-lap wetsuit swim to claim a spot among the leaders on the bike. On the six-lap bike, a lead pack of 45 riders gained a 45-second advantage on the field, and Kemper led the men out of T2 and onto the 10-kilometer run course.

On the run, Docherty and Lescure opened up an advantage early. Kemper dropped to fifth before closing with a strong kick to earn his fourth ITU podium finish of 2011. Visit triathlon.org for a full recap from ITU.

“Bevan was a great champion,” said Kemper. “It’s a little disappointing for me today. It’s hard to say that after getting third and making the podium, but I am having a good year and for me my big weekend is four weeks from now in London, and I’m going to have to do better than I did today.” Next up for Kemper is the Aug. 6-7 London ITU World Championship Series race, which will serve as the first qualifier for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team.

On the women’s side, Ashleigh Gentle of Australia was victorious in 2:00:14. Jennifer Spieldenner (Findlay, Ohio), was the top American, placing 19th in 2:04:02. Visit triathlon.org for a full recap from ITU.

The day kicked off with many of the nation’s top juniors in action in the PATCO Pan American Championships. Verzbicas (Orland Hills, Ill.) was victorious in the sprint-distance event in 55:24, with fellow American Tony Smoragiewicz (Rapid City, S.D.) earning silver in 55:39. Ben Kanute (Geneva, Ill.) was fourth in 56:04 to finish just off the podium. The top three U.S. athletes were together for the first half of the run before Verzbicas pulled away over the final 2.5k to claim the victory.

Breanna Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.) finished seventh in the women’s race in 1:03:21 to rank as the top U.S. athlete.

With three athletes in the top 15 of both races, the U.S. secured the maximum number of spots — three male and three female — for the 2011 ITU Junior World Championships on Sept. 10-11 in Beijing. Additionally, Smoragiewicz and Hemming qualified for Worlds individually thanks to their performances in Edmonton. Verzbicas and Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill.), who was 22nd in Sunday’s World Cup event, had already qualified for the team by virtue of their top-four finishes at last year’s World Championships.

The final male and female spots for this year’s Worlds will be claimed by the top U.S. finisher who has not already qualified at the Aug. 6 USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championship in San Diego, Calif.  
Men – Click here for complete results
1. Bevan Docherty (NZL), 1:46:47
2. Aurélien Lescure (FRA), 1:46:49
3. Hunter Kemper (Colorado Springs, Colo.), 1:46:54
31. Steve Sexton (Berkeley, Calif.), 1:49:14
56. Barrett Brandon (Fort Worth, Texas), 1:52:25
DNF Ben Collins (Seattle, Wash.)
DNF Joe Maloy (Wildwood Crest, N.J.)