April 8, 2007
-- Press Release: It was rain and shine this past weekend at the inaugural Lone Star Triathlon Festival in Galveston, but no matter the weather, the race received shining reviews. Over 1850 triathletes from across the country attended the three-day event at Moody Gardens.
On Saturday morning, participants in the Sprint triathlon left Palm Beach for the swim in Offats Bayou under gray skies, and were guarded closely by the Galveston Beach Patrol. As they continued out on the bike course, the sky unleashed a torrent of rain, leaving participants, volunteers, spectators and staff drenched from head to toe. Athletes pushed on through the rain and wind, seeking shelter under Moody Garden's big tent following their finish. Inside the tent athletes and their families enjoyed live music, food, and beer – compliments of Michelob Ultra.
In a close men's race, Tommy Brown of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis finished first in a time of 56:30, followed by Will Ronco of Colorado in 56:39. Austin's Jamie Cleveland finished third in 57:19.
Kate Ripple-Cramer of Louisiana took the women's race in 1:02:51, followed by Christine MacKrides of Pennsylvania in 1:10:48, and Michelle Easton of Spring, Texas in 1:12:45.
On Sunday morning the half-Iron triathletes began their 1.2 mile swim under cloudy skies, completing their first of three events before the quarter-Iron triathletes entered the water. Although the rain held off, a strong headwind made the bike challenging for even the most seasoned triathletes.
Volunteers along the course cheered the athletes during the tough times, and kept them hydrated. Runners at the front of the pack enjoyed an overcast day, while those finishing later endured heat from the sunshine that finally appeared mid-day. As they crossed the finish line, triathletes were greeted by volunteers who presented them with Lone Star water bottles, sport towels, and finisher medals.
In an exciting Quarter-Iron race, Jeff Cutrer of Austin, TX, crossed the finish line first in 2:04:12, but was bumped to second place by David Oskutis of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, who started in a later swim wave and finished in 2:03:12. Tommy Brown, also from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis took third place in 2:06:28. Austin's Freddie Ferraro was the male Masters winner in 2:18:43.
Justine Whipple of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis easily took the women's race in 2:10:19, followed by Christina Wolfe of Oklahoma in 2:18:55, and Julie Mosier Crosno of Kingwood, TX in 2:20:35. Lisa Preeg of Austin, TX was the top female Masters in 2:22:47.
In the Half-Iron race, Will Ronco of Colorado, who placed second in the Sprint race the day before, finished first in at time of 4:07:04. Todd Gerlach of Austin finished second in 4:08:39, followed by Andrew Johnson of Colorado, who had the fastest run split of the day, averaging 5:45 per mile. Patrick Lee of Jamaica was the top male Masters finisher in 4:34:20.
In the women's race Cara Payne of Seattle, Washington took first place in 4:50:34. Amanda Erwin of Tulsa, Oklahoma came in a close second in 4:52:22, and posted the fastest run-split in the women's race. Tori Champagne of Louisiana took third place in 5:08:51. Christine MacKrides, who took second place overall in Saturday's Sprint race, was the top female Masters finisher in the Half-Iron.
After the race, participants relaxed outside in the sunshine with live music, food, and plenty of Michelob Ultra. The beautiful grounds of Moody Gardens, and the world-class Endorfun Sports set-up provided a festive backdrop to the day's events.