USA Triathlon Names 2010 USA Paratriathlon National Team

Fifteen of the nation’s top paratriathletes selected to Team USA

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Fifteen of the nation’s most decorated paratriathletes have been selected to represent USA Triathlon as the 2010 USA Paratriathlon National Team, USA Paratriathlon National Team Director Peter Harsch announced this week.

This team will represent USAT at a trio of races that comprise the 2010 USA Paratriathlon Race Series: the July 18 Nautica New York City Triathlon, which serves as the Accenture USA Paratriathlon National Championship, the Aug. 28 Chicago Triathlon and the Sept. 12 Nautica Malibu Triathlon.

The season will culminate in September in Budapest, Hungary, at the 2010 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships.

“We are excited to again have some of the top elite paratriathletes in the U.S. on this year’s squad. These dedicated athletes are among the best in the world and are leading our ever-growing sport towards the goal of reaching the Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016,” said Harsch. “Each athlete represents the great athleticism and dedication the sport of paratriathlon requires. The 2010 season is promising to be exciting and one of the most competitive in history.”

Leading the list of men are three current ITU paratriathlon world champions: five-time TRI-2 (above knee) champion Matt Perkins, three-time TRI-5 (below knee) gold medalist J.P. Theberge and four-time TRI-6 (blind) world champion Aaron Scheidies.

Other men selected to the national team include 2009 ITU TRI-1 (hand cycle) bronze medalist George Gallego and 2009 national TRI-4 (upper extremity) national champion Joel Rosinbum.

Three-time TRI-2 ITU world champion Sarah Reinertsen headlines the women’s team. Fellow world champs joining Reinertsen on the squad include newcomer and current ITU TRI-5 world champion Megan Fisher, two-time ITU TRI-2 silver medalist Scout Bassett, defending ITU TRI-6 world champion Ivonne Mosquera and Beth Price, the 2009 ITU TRI-3 (les autres) world champion.

Rounding out the team are 2009 TRI-4 national champion Robin Caruso and 2009 TRI-1 national champion Minda Dentler.

The team also features three wounded service persons from the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Operation Rebound program: 2009 TRI-1 national champion and defending Paralympic handcycling gold medalist Oscar “Oz” Sanchez, 2008 U.S. Paralympic swimmer Melissa Stockwell and up-and-coming TRI-4 standout Sebastian “Sam” Cila.

2010 USA Paratriathlon National Team

Scout Bassett, 21, Westwood, Calif.
Robin Caruso, 43, Ridgefield, Conn.
Sebastian Cila, 36, Riverhead, N.Y.
Minda Dentler, 32, New York, N.Y.
Megan Fisher, 27, Missoula, Mont.
George Gallego, 42, New York, N.Y.
Ivonne Mosquera, 32, Midland, Mich.
Matt Perkins, 35, Boise, Idaho
Beth Price, 46, Spanish Port, Ala.
Sarah Reinertsen, 34, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Joel Rosinbum, 29, Portland, Ore.
Oscar Sanchez, 34, La Mesa, Calif.
Aaron Scheidies, 28, Seattle, Wash.
Melissa Stockwell, 30, Forrest Park, Ill.
J.P. Theberge, 37, Carlsbad, Calif.