Top U.S. athletes honored by the sport's National Governing Body

Written by USA Triathlon Thursday, 01 March 2012 23:40

2011 Elite Athletes of the Year

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - With International Triathlon Union World Championship
Series podium finisher Sarah Groff and Pan American Games silver medalist Manuel
Huerta leading the way, USA Triathlon today announced its 2011 Elite Athletes of
the Year as selected by the USA Triathlon Athlete Advisory Council (AAC).

Sarah Groff
(USA Triathlon)

"2011 was a year filled with many incredible triathlon performances. The AAC carefully
examined the résumés and results of all the nominees, and is proud to honor these
exceptional athletes. With the quality of nominees, the selections were no easy
task. The AAC congratulates all the 2011 winners," said Barrett Brandon, chair of
the USA Triathlon Athlete Advisory Council.

Groff (Hanover, N.H.) and Huerta (Miami, Fla.) earned Olympic/ITU Athlete of the
Year accolades. After being slowed by injury for much of 2010, Groff became the
first-ever U.S. athlete to earn a spot on the series podium in the three-year history
of the ITU World Championship Series in 2011. In addition to qualifying for the
2012 Olympic Games with a seventh-place finish in London, Groff added a third-place
finish in Kitzbühel, Austria, and she totaled four top-seven WCS finishes on the
year.

Huerta capped his 2011 season with a runner-up finish at the Pan American Games
in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He finished the year as the No. 3 American in the ITU

WCS rankings and was the top U.S. men's performer at the London and Kitzbühel WCS
stops. Additionally, Huerta recorded four top-16 finishes in ITU World Cup events.

Manuel Huerta
(Rich Cruse

Long-distance standouts Mary Beth Ellis (Boulder, Colo.) and Jordan Rapp (Thousand
Oaks, Calif.) claimed Non-Olympic/ITU Athlete of the Year honors. Ellis enjoyed
a breakout season in 2011 by winning three Ironman events over an eight-week span
and placing 15th at the Ironman World Championship.

After being injured when struck by a car while cycling in March 2010, Rapp completed
his comeback story last year with victories at Ironman Canada and the ITU Long Distance
Triathlon World Championships.

Up-and-coming athletes Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill.) and A.J. Baucco (Willoughby
Hills, Ohio) were named Rookies of the Year. In addition to snagging Junior Triathlete
of the Year honors earlier this week, Whitley claimed rookie accolades for her debut
on the professional circuit, which produced three top-seven ITU Pan American Cup
finishes.

Following an amateur win at Ironman 70.3 Florida, Baucco notched four top-15 elite
finishes in 2011. His top showings were a fourth-place effort at TriStar111 Minnesota
and a ninth-place finish at Galveston 5i50.

Under-23 Athlete of the Year accolades went to 2011 under-23 national champions
Kaitlin Shiver (Melbourne, Fla.) and Greg Billington (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
Shiver, who was fourth at the ITU Under-23 World Championships, also was the runner-up
in the 2011 USA Triathlon Elite Race Series and was the winner of the 2011 USA
Triathlon
Collegiate National Championship.

Billington also recorded a fourth-place finish at ITU Under-23 Worlds and added
a pair of top-six ITU Pan American Cup finishes.

Additionally, USA Triathlon's Age Group Committee and Duathlon Committee named Nicole
LaSelle (Dayton, Ohio) and Matthew Russell (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Elite Duathletes
of the Year for 2011. Russell and LaSelle claimed national titles at the USA Triathlon
Elite Duathlon National Championship and went on to place fifth and ninth,
respectively,
at the ITU Elite Duathlon World Championships.

2011 USA Triathlon Elite Athletes of the Year

Olympic/ITU Athletes of the Year

Sarah Groff (Hanover, N.H.)

Manuel Huerta (Miami, Fla.)

Non-Olympic/ITU Athletes of the Year

Mary Beth Ellis (Boulder, Colo.)

Jordan Rapp (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)

Rookies of the Year

Kelly Whitley (Geneva, Ill.)

A.J. Baucco (Willoughby Hills, Ohio)

Under-23 Athletes of the Year

Kaitlin Shiver (Melbourne, Fla.)