Posted: March 14, 2007

Triathlon: “Best Of The US” Invites Florida’s Best To Race At Zephyrhills St. Augustine Sprint Triathlon On April 21

(St. Paul, MN – 3/14/2007)––The male and female champions of the 2005 St. Augustine Sprint Triathlon won the Fastest Team Competition at the inaugural “Best of the US Championship” at Lake Winnipesaukee. NH. North Palm Beach’s John Reback, 2003 USAT Triathlete of the Year, placed 8th in the men’s contest, and Vero Beach’s Lotte Branigan, 2005 USAT Female Triathlete of the Year runner-up, finished a spectacular 2nd for the women. In 2006, Branigan once again placed 2nd at the BOUS Championships, which were staged in Excelsior, Minnesota, and went on to earn USAT Triathlete of the Year honors. This year’s championship will be held at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven, Florida on October 6. Expect dominant performances from the home team. “Florida is arguably the most talent-rich tri state in the US right now,” claims Jerry MacNeil, Best of the US PR Director. “The talent pool is so deep and the Sunshine State’s triathletes just keep racking up the post-season honors. Winter Haven’s amazing Marc Bonnet-Eymard was USAT Athlete of the Year in 2006 and 2005; Vero Beach’s Branigan is the reigning women’s AOY; the amazing Linda Neary- Robb of Juno Beach is one of the few American triathletes to have won both the AOY and US Master of the Year awards. Also sharing that distinction is fellow Floridian Jeff Cuddeback of Longwood. Add to this a national class assemblage that includes John Reback, Dustin McLarty, Boris Fernandez, Sarah Megan Quinty, Ashley Carusone, Rob Skaggs, Kevin Grogan, Anton Van Zyl, Sharon Beltrandelrio, Alexandra Lechner and junior sensation Kaitland Cosgrove, just to name a few, and you almost have to conclude that Florida will field the team to beat on October 6.” The St. Augustine Triathlon kicks off the 2007 Zephyrhills Sprint Triathlon Series. The event consists of a 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike and 5K run. The Best of the U.S. Amateur Triathlete Competition is produced by Midwest Events, LLC of Saint Paul, Minnesota.