Photo Courtesy: Tyler Welch
(Wichita, KS) was the site where they held their annual Winter Classic USARS sanctioned event this past weekend and despite the cold bitter weather outside it was hot racing inside for flat track racing! Around 125 entries this year rounded out by local and several neighboring states’ skate clubs brought some fierce competition nonetheless. One athlete that definitely came to play was Luigino/Atom’s newbie Aaliyah Grant out of Ft. Smith, AR, carded as a Sophomore division competitor but competed like an elite world-class skater winning 7 golds out of 7 events in classic style & humility.
(above from left: Emrick, Grant, Threet)Just a week prior Grant was nursing a sore calf muscle from her varsity track running but it didn’t seem to hinder her performance this past weekend such as the Grand Champions race comprised of the top 3 finishers in Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshman & Classic Ladies combined for a Winner Takes ALL war on the floor. Winning that event as just a Sophomore made her the one to talk about all weekend & she seemed to have plenty more of where that came from. Grant also turns just 16 this coming Tuesday & Atom Wheels would like to wish her a very happy birthday & look forward to many more together.
In theElite Sr. Men’s division it was a battle for the top of the podium spot between Donavon Sellers (Des Moines, IA) Michael Ringer (Dallas, TX), Brian Talley (Dallas, TX) and a Grand Classic ‘but still running with the big boys’ skating elite competitor Nickey Lee (Tulsa, OK). Sellers seemed to have the upper hand in the sprint distances but Ringer redeemed himself by winning the 1500m event stating he was starting to get use to the more narrower than traditional floor.
(above: race action Ringer, Talley & Sellers (far right) on the move)
Meanwhile for 2nd & 3rd it was a battle between Talley and Lee, even hawking each other at the finish line a few times but Talley would prevail in the end giving him enough points for the bronze overall. The Sr. 5000m Open didn’t disappoint with Sellers & Ringer going head to head for bragging rights in Kansas. It would seem that Ringer won the event but a late DQ came after the race, advantage Sellers. Definitely some crowd pleasing race action by the elite men!
(above from left: Ringer, Sellers, Talley)
(above: race action Michael Ringer taking the lead in the Grand Champions Race)
(above: race action Michael Ringer taking the lead in the Grand Champions Race)Hall of fame coach Mark Muse (Des Moines, IA) brought around 10 athletes to this competition and they all came to put IA back on the racing map as they once were the most dominant club during all of the 80’s and ½ of the 90’s hands down! Whitney ‘the Whip’ Emrick (Freshman Girls champion) Stoppelmoor (Freshman Boys Champ) Kayla Duque (Juvenile Girls Silver) Jenea Kaster & Avery Tilley (Novice Silver) were just a few of this team’s solid roster & growing fast!
(above from left: coach Mark Muse, Sellers, Emrick, blurry stranger)
(above from left: Tinsley, Emrick, DFW)
(above from left to right: Justin Rogers, Brian Hampton, Carolina Rivera, Patrick Finley, Ashley Rumfelt - Team Gateway Speed - St. Louis)Great job racers & thanks to all that stopped by the Luigino/Atom booth to say hello. We appreciate your support and plan to see each and every one of you real soon.
Atom Wheels
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Atom Wheels
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7 comments:
awesome article and way to go GATEWAY SPEED! whooo hoo
Thanks for mentioning our Small but mighty team from St Louis - It was our honor to attend this meet - All of us are on Luigino products, and they MAKE the difference. They are the real truth in inline speed skating. Definitely look for more from us!
Patrick - GST
thanks for the article, so nice to get noticed. congrats to Mark Muse and his IA team.
Mark Muse needs to go solo again with his own team. Take a backseat to no one for the sake of relays Mark! Make IA what it once was in the North Central region! DO IT!
Thanks for the nice article and the shout out to my niece Kayla. Mark Muse is a awesome coach and takes a back seat to know one. He joined forces with Mr. Joe Cotter to build CHAMPIONS not for relays. These kids get the best coaching with Joe and Mark together. We are all lucky to have them both.
they would still get the best coaching regardless because they would still have them as coaches. Joining two good teams does not build champions and it certainly doesn't force clubs to grow teams in their area. It's a way to "buy" champions by buying super relays! IA never needed anyone years ago to 'build' champions. They bred them at home, BY THEMSELVES! And other coaches need to quit riding on the coattails of coaches like Mark Muse. Get your own dang team! Heck if that's the case, why dont all coaches just join Mark and Joe and have one big happy team???? hmmm? Are we still building champions Mr. Miller?
I don't think anyone is arguing that they are not good coaches however when you take skaters out of 4 or 5 or 6 states and build one team, then how are you building and growing the numbers in your own area? Colorado has no registered teams and the skaters from there skate for United, how is that helping? It's obvious that they do it for relays. And then the coaches get points at Nationals towards high point and they dont coach them all under one program at home. What happened to the days of you skate for whom you practice with. that way teams are forced to grow their own programs. Not a skater from CA and VA joined for relay purposes. These skaters that are joining TU already have their own coaches at home i.e. mark and yourself. So why unite??? for relays!!!
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