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Stoltz, McQuaid Still Perfect in the Cup Series with Victories at Southeast Champs in Pelham

Shelby County, AL (May 23, 2009) - Another state, a wildly different course, yet the same result as Conrad "The Caveman" Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid roll to their third straight regional championship victories, this time at the XTERRA Southeast Cup at Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, AL.

At about the same time the endurance community celebrated the life of cycling and triathlon great Steve Larsen (who passed away on Tuesday) with memorial rides and runs in his hometown of Bend, OR, many of Larsen’s friends in sport were riding and running in honor of him in the southern woods of Alabama today.

Leading the charge was Stoltz, who said "the technical parts are usually my strengths, but today I couldn't focus. I did feel like I had amazing strength today though. This was a great victory for Steve."

Many of the riders dedicated their efforts today to Larsen and his family, including Stoltz and McQuaid.

"Steve was such a huge inspiration for me coming from a mountain biking background.  I felt really strong today,” said McQuaid.

It was certainly a day where XTERRA athletes could find inspiration all around, as even the sports all-time winningest athlete Jamie Whitmore (cancer survivor/battler) came out from California to be one of the race announcers.   In addition, TEAM 413 Gracerunner ministries held a sunrise service before the race and all paused for a moment of silence in Larsen’s memory*.

The race started with Evans coming out of the water first for the fourth straight year here, but Stoltz caught him quickly and entered the run with a big lead that he never relinquished.  Josiah Middaugh was second off the bike, then Dan Hugo and Mike Vine together in third and fourth.

"Conrad was out of sight today and was ahead from the start,” said Middaugh. “I tried to close the gap, but he had a great race today."

The men finished Stoltz, Middaugh, Vine, Hugo (the same top four finishers in each of the first three Cup races) with Nico Lebrun in 5th for the second weekend in a row.

In the women’s race Melanie McQuaid was the first out of the water (Christine Jeffrey missed this race with a strained calf) and never trailed thereafter.

"I had a great day today. I am much better without a wetsuit and I got a good start on the bike. I was really lucky to have Casey Fannin around me, and we were going back and forth until I started to climb. The last couple of climbs on the run took everything I had. I was happy with the perfect weather, the people cheering in the woods, and the TT tires I rode on."

Renata Bucher was second into the bike-to-run transition but still more than three minutes behind McQuaid, followed by Shonny Vanlandingham and the speedy Lesley Paterson who leapfrogged past the two in front of her and into second place for the second year in a row here in Pelham.

“The women's race is getting really exciting, and I won't always be on top. We definitely have to make sure we watch out for Lesley in the future," said McQuaid.

Also of note Emma Garrard passed Jenny Smith to finish in 5th place, the first podium placing in her pro career.

Note:  More than 200 athletes representing 25 states and 10 countries competed in today's races on the highly acclaimed trails at Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County. Next weekend the park hosts the epic BUMP and Grind mountain bike races (named for the Birmingham Urban Mountain Pedalers who maintain the famous Oak Mountain “Red Trail”).

*A memorial fund has been started for the Larsen family. Checks can be made to the Steve Larsen Memorial Fund and sent to the address below.

Steve Larsen Memorial Fund
Umpqua Bank
390 SW Century Drive
Suite 100
Bend OR 97702

TOP 10 PRO MEN
 
Pl  Name  Age  Hometown  Time  Pts  Purse
1  Conrad Stoltz  35  Stellenbosch, South Africa  2:04:27  100  $1,800
2  Josiah Middaugh  30  Vail, Colorado  2:05:19  90  $1,250
3  Mike Vine  35  Victoria, B.C., Canada  2:06:58  82  $800
4  Dan Hugo  24  Stellenbosch, South Africa  2:08:07  75  $500
5  Nico Lebrun  35  Digne, France  2:09:07  69  $400
6  Craig Evans  31  Spring Hill, Tennessee  2:10:14  63  $300
7  Cody Waite  30  Lakewood, Colorado  2:15:47  58  $200
8  Branden Rakita  28  Manitou Springs, Colorado  2:17:57  53  
9  Will Kelsay  27  Boulder, Colorado  2:20:18  49  
10  Matt Boobar  36  Stratton Mountain, Vermont  2:28:54  45

TOP 10 PRO WOMEN  

Pl  Name  Age  Hometown  Time  Pts  Purse
1  Melanie McQuaid  35  Victoria, B.C., Canada  2:23:52  100  $1,800
2  Lesley Paterson  28  Sterling, Scotland  2:26:33  90  $1,250
3  Renata Bucher  31  Lucerne, Switzerland  2:28:46  82  $800
4  Shonny Vanlandingham  39  Durango, Colorado  2:29:03  75  $500
5  Emma Garrard  27  Truckee, California  2:32:11  69  $400
6  Jenny Smith  36  Westport, New Zealand  2:33:11  63  $300
7  Danelle Kabush  34  Canmore, Alberta, Canada  2:33:20  58  $200
8  Kristy Lanier  38  Marlinton, West Virginia  2:37:38  53  
9  Erin Kummer  24  Boulder, Colorado  2:45:07  49  
10  Alexandra Borrelly  33  Digne, France  2:50:39  45  

Find complete results here.

Not much movement at the top of the Pro standings after race No. 3, with Stoltz and McQuaid firmly in front.  The top 4 men held position,while Craig Evans jumped three spots to No. 5 and Lebrun three spots to No. 7.  In the women's standings the top 3 stayed put, with Emma Garrard jumping into the No. 4 spot after her best career finish today.

2009 XTERRA CUP SERIES STANDINGS (After 3)  

Pl  Name  1  2  3  Total
1  Conrad Stoltz  100  100  100  300
2  Josiah Middaugh  90  82  90  262
3  Mike Vine  75  90  82  247
4  Dan Hugo  82  75  75  232
5  Craig Evans  49  49  63  161
6  Branden Rakita  45  53  53  151
7  Nico Lebrun  DNF  69  69  138
8  Cody Waite  34  41  58  133
9  Brian Smith  53  58  DNS  111
10  Will Kelsay  31  31  49  111
11  Seth Wealing  37  63  DNS  100
12  Matt Boobar  DNS  34  45  79
13  Jasper Blake  69  DNS  DNS  69
14  Steve Larsen  63  DNS  DNS  63
15  Justin Thomas  58  DNS  DNS  58
16  Ryan DeCook  DNP  45  DNS  45
17  Ryan Ignatz  41  DNS  DNS  41
18  Scott Gall  DNS  37  DNS  37
20  Jeff Smith  28  DNS  DNS  28

Pl  Name  1  2  3  Total
1  Melanie McQuaid  100  100  100  300
2  Renata Bucher  75  90  82  247
3  Shonny Vanlandingham  90  75  75  240
4  Emma Garrard  63  58  69  190
5  Jenny Smith  53  69  63  185
6  Lesley Paterson  82  DNS  90  172
7  Christine Jeffrey  69  82  DNS  151
8  Alexandra Borrelly  31  53  45  129
9  Danelle Kabush  49  DNS  58  107
10  Erin Kummer  DNS  49  49  98
11  Jari Kirkland  28  63  DNS  91
12  Rebecca Dussault  58  DNS  DNS  58
13  Kristy Lanier  DNS  DNS  53  53
14  Jenny Tobin  45  DNS  DNS  45
15  Ingrid Rolles  41  DNS  DNS  41
16  Sari Anderson  37  DNS  DNS  37
17  Tracy Thelen  34  DNS  DNS  34

1 = Loews XTERRA West Cup - May 2  
2 = XTERRA Midwest Cup - May 17  
3 = XTERRA Southeast Cup - May 23  
 
The XTERRA Southeast Cup was the third of eight big XTERRA Cup championship races in the nationwide XTERRA America Tour that boasts 60 races in 32 states, and culminates in Utah at the XTERRA USA Championship on Sept. 26.

AMATEUR RACE:  Nat Faulkner from Ontario, Canada won the men's amateur division (10th overall) in 2:20:37 while Brook Pace from Tallahassee, FL won the women's title in 2:51:03.

"I didn't walk, get hurt or get beat by the girls so I was happy," said Faulkner, who was racing in just his second XTERRA and took off right after the race for the 15-hour drive back to Toronto and another triathlon for him tomorrow morning.

By virtue of their fine performance today, a total of 34 age group competitors earned their spot on the sandy start line in Maui for the XTERRA World Championship on Oct. 25.

XTERRA SOUTHEAST CUP CHAMPIONS (Amateur Women)
Division  Name  Time  Hometown
25 - 29   Erin Nielsen  2:53:17  North Haverhill, NH
30 - 34   Brook Pace  2:51:03  Tallahassee, FL
35 - 39   Tina Eakin  2:51:36  Huntsville, AL
40 - 44   Missy Grant  3:13:52  Raleigh, NC
45 - 49   Lori Goldweber  2:52:23  Birmingham, AL
50 - 54  Beverly Enslow  2:51:37  Metamora, IL
55 - 59  Ruth Ference  3:36:56  Rome, GA
60+  Charlotte Mahan  5:31:10  Lenoir City, TN
* TOP AMATEURS  

XTERRA SOUTHEAST CUP CHAMPIONS (Amateur Men)
Division  Name  Time  Hometown
20 - 24   Jared Levin  2:54:21  Richmond, VA
25 - 29   Blake Voges  2:26:08  Santa Claus, IN
30 - 34   Nat Faulkner  2:20:37  Ontario, Canada
35 - 39   Scott Mills  2:25:44  Montgomery, AL
40 - 44   Rickey Tolliver  2:26:53  Parker, CO
45 - 49   Casey Fannin  2:22:53  Birmingham, AL
50 - 54   Scott Ewing  2:36:39  Destin, FL
55 - 59  Bill Blankenship  3:19:08  Santa Fe, NM
60 - 64  William English  3:51:19  Clemson, SC
65 - 69  Peter Lilley  3:52:21  Charlotte, NC
70+  Nathaniel Grew  4:30:20  Costa Rica
PC  Todd Atkins  3:23:15  Fayetteville, GA
Collegiate  Graeme Keith III  2:43:17  Charleston Law School

ALSO QUALIFYING FOR MAUI  
 
25-29w  Alicia Noel  2:59:19  Conway, MO
25-29m  Omar Fraser  2:26:44  Birmingham, AL
25-29m  Andrew Jones  2:30:50  Rock Hill, SC
30-34m  Kristoffer Nielsen  2:20:39  North Haverhill, NH
30-34m  Fred Smith  2:24:16  Knoxville, TN
30-34w  Julia Radmann  2:54:09  Smyrna, GA
35-39m  Mark Woody  2:29:57  Chapin, SC
35-39m  Frank Fernandez-Poss  2:36:57  Deerfield Beach, FL
35-39w  Mary Fulbright  3:06:57  St. Louis, MO
40-44m  Jeff Richards  2:29:11  Atlanta, GA
40-44m  Herbie Reeves  2:38:13  Irmo, SC
45-49m  Mark Rudder  2:27:47  Dunwoody, GA
45-49w  Robin Boughton  3:20:50  Ocala, FL
50-54w  Lucia Colbert  3:05:51  Cordova, TN
PC  David Kyle  3:33:17  Athens, AL
Previously Qualified = Meiling Yee (45-49), Beverly Enslow (50-54), Blake Voges (25-29)

Next up:  XTERRA Northwest Cup at Farragut State Park near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on June 6.

The 2009 XTERRASoutheast Cup is presented by Paul Mitchell and XTERRA.TV.  National sponsors include GU, Rodale, XTERRAGear.com, Zorrel, Gatorade, Choice Hotels, and the Utah Sports Commission.  The destination sponsor for the XTERRASoutheast Cup is Shelby County, Alabama.