On the Podium for Jono and Jill

Jono Gorman and Jilleanne Rookard qualified again for the 2004 World Team. This is Jono's second time on the Jr. World Team and it is Jill's fourth year on the Senior Women's team. Sporting a large field of 33 World Class Men, 16 World Class Ladies, 28 Junior Men and 18 Junior Ladies, the competition was truly the "best of the best" vying for a spot.

This year's Outdoor Nationals was one of several "firsts". The most controversial "first" was the new USARS rule concerning how the World Team would be chosen. The new rules allow the winner of the 300m time trial on the track and the 200m on the road to automatically qualify for the World Team. This is supposed to allow specialization in the sprint distances so that we get the fastest men and women in the USA on the team. However, it can also cause problems because so much comes into play when skating just one race. For example, the track/road conditions could be such that a strong tail wind could push a skater to win that isn't actually the fastest. But the rules are the rules, and everyone knew the situation in advance. You can imagine the relief that first day when four lucky men and women had already secured their place on the team. As a matter of fact, you could hear William Bowen's warwhoop of "YES!!" all the way across the track! For the rest of the team, they had to qualify the old fashioned way -- be consistent and get as many points as you can.

It was also the first time in many years that the competition had not been postponed because of rain. It was also the first time in a while that it hasn't snowed on the first day of competition. It was, however, VERY cold on several days with a north wind that could atrophy your toes where they stood and then on the other days, it was int he 90's. Welcome to Colorado in May!

On the track, Jono at least showed consistency if not brillance. He medalled in 4 out of 5 events, only missing out of the 15K elimination by one place. Let's not talk about the 15K elimination though, because anyone that saw David after that race would have thought that Mt St. Helen's was going off again! Jill placed in 2 of 4 races, with a win in the 10000m Points Race, overcoming a bad knee from a fall at the Tres Pistes in France.

On the road, Jono finally picked up a couple of gold medals -- in the 20K Elimination and the 500m sprint. In the sprint, he also set a national record. Jill picked up two more medals on the road, one in the 500m sprint and the other in the 5K Points.

Also representing GT Speed were Dallas Hebert and Stephen Dawson. Dallas took the Overall Title in Freshman Boys in a battle to the wire with Texas' Colin Thomas. Both Colin and Dallas will be forces to reckon with when they move up to the Junior division. Attending his first Outdoor Nationals, Stephen Dawson learned how the banked track can really beat up your legs. It was a completely new style of racing to him, but he tells us that he's learned a lot and will skate differently next year.

Junior World Class Men

                                                                Plc Pts
          
Darren Kauffman Waynesboro, PA 160pts (120 Track 40 Road) 
                                            R500 Meters Sprint   05 0
           ***Road Sprint Champ ***         R200 Meters Time     01 30.0 
                                            R5000 Meters Points  04 0
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   03 10.0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  01 30.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   01 30.0
                                            T300 Meters Time     02 20.0
                                            T10000 Meters Points 01 30.0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   03 10.0
          
Jonathan Gorman Roswell, GA    140pts (60 Track 80 Road) 
                                            R500 Meters Sprint   01 30.0 
                                            R200 Meters Time     14 0
                                            R5000 Meters Points  02 20.0 
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   01 30.0 
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  02 20.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   03 10.0
                                            T300 Meters Time     03 10.0
                                            T10000 Meters Points 02 20.0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   04 0
          
Sebastian Cano Miami, FL        80pts (80 track 0 Road) 
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  03 10.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   02 20.0
           ***Track Sprint Champ ***        T300 Meters Time     01 30.0
                                            T10000 Meters Points       0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   02 20.0
                                                     
Kyle Lazzell Kissimmee, FL      60pts (30 Track 30 Road)
                                            R500 Meters Sprint   03 10.0 
                                            R200 Meters Time     10 0
                                            R5000 Meters Points  05 0
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   02 20.0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  05 0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   05 0
                                            T300 Meters Time     09 0
                                            T10000 Meters Points    0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   01 30.0
                                                     

World Class Ladies

                                                                Plc Pts
          
Julie Glass  Olympia, WA       210pts (120 Track 90 Road)
           ***Road Sprint Champ ***         R200 Meters Time     01 30.0 
                                            R5000 Meters Points  01 30.0 
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   01 30.0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  01 30.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   01 30.0
           ***Track Sprint Champ ***        T300 Meters Time     01 30.0
                                            T10000 Meters Points    0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   01 30.0
                                                    
Jessica Smith Melvindale, MI   160pts (90 Track 70 Road)
                                            R200 Meters Sprint   01 30.0 
                                            R200 Meters Time     02 20.0
                                            R5000 Meters Points  04 0
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   02 20.0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  02 20.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   02 20.0
                                            T300 Meters Time     02 20.0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   02 20.0
                                                    
Kimi Butler  Sacramento, CA     70 pts(40 Track 30 Road) 
                                            R500 Meters Sprint   05 0
                                            R200 Meters Time     15 0
                                            R5000 Meters Points  02 20.0
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   03 10.0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  03 10.0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   03 10.0
                                            T300 Meters Time     13 0
                                            T10000 Meters Points 02 20.0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   04 0
          
Jilleanne Rookard Carleton, MI    70 pts (40 Track 30 Road)
                                            R500 Meters Sprint   02 20.0
                                            R200 Meters Time     05 0
                                            R5000 Meters Points  03 10.0
                                            R20000 Meters Elim   04 0
                                            T1000 Meters Sprint  04 0
                                            T500 Meters Sprint   05 0
                                            T300 Meters Time     04 0
                                            T10000 Meters Points 01 30.0
                                            T15000 Meters Elim   03 10.0
                                                    

This year, the World Championships are going to be in Abruzzo, Italy [Abruzzo is the name of the province -- the racing will actually be in three different towns: L'Aquila (track), Sulmona(road), and Pescara(marathon).]