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Two of Score This!!! very own

Sardes’ next step is today’s Ironman

Husband inspires Tonawanda woman

By Amy Moritz NEWS SPORTS REPORTER
Updated: 10/11/08 6:35 AM

It was about 15 years ago, at the age of 41, when Diane Sardes started running. Prior to that, her main fitness activity had been walking. But she joined the local running group Checkers and started to really enjoy the sport. Then her husband, Tony Garrow, picked up triathlons. So she gave that a shot. Two completed Ironman competitions later, Sardes finds herself in Hawaii in the mother of all triathlon events — the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kona. “I know I can handle it but the racing part has not sunk in yet,” Sardes said last week before leaving for Hawaii. “Maybe once we land it will. I’m just hoping to have everything in reserve  and that everything starts working when it needs to.”

Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News Diane Sardes (left) is in Hawaii for the Ironman triathlon, and husband Tony Garrow helped her get there.

Sardes will get to work at 4:45 a. m. Hawaii time today when race check-in officially begins. The professional triathletes begin first, followed by age group competitors in wave starts beginning at 7 a. m.

The 56-year-old North Tonawanda resident came by this coveted Kona spot at the Ironman Louisville race. Her time of 15 hours, six minutes and 31 seconds placed her third in the 55-59 age group. The top two finishers declined the spot to Kona, giving Sardes the opportunity of a lifetime.

“I wish I could have run better,” Sardes said of her six-hour marathon at Louisville. “I got off the bike half an hour better than my last [Ironman] bike and I was thrilled. . . . But on the run I could not believe how hot it was. It was dangerously hot. I almost came to a dead stop and started walking. I looked around and said I’ve got to get through this. I have to eat and drink. So I walked and I ran.”

Her determination to complete the Louisville Ironman isn’t a surprise. Sardes is a tough competitor, both mentally and physically. She credits her athletic development to her time at Checkers and relies heavily on the friendships she’s made with the Bond Lake Athletic Club and the Buffalo Triathlon Club.

Through it all, she’s been very aware of the strength that fitness and competition gave her and how it can help transform the lives of women.

“I have always thought it was important for each female to be responsible for how they turn out in life,” Sardes said. “We cannot depend on our families to give us the ability we need to reach our potential. It’s important, no matter what age, to search out your passion.

“Try to have supportive people around you as you live your life — but when it comes down to it, it’s up to you to do what it takes to get through this very tough life. Being fit helps an awful lot.

“I try and help other women by having them see what I can do. I am just like all of them. I know if they see me reach out then they will too. I hope what I do fulfills them because they might try harder. I want females to be strong and healthy.”

Among the supportive people in her life, none is more important than her husband, Garrow. About two years ago, Garrow was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells. A month after completing his last chemotherapy treatment in June 2007, he ran his first 5K.

This summer, the 52-year-old returned to triathlon, completing the Wisconsin Ironman last month in 12:52:15.

“Had he not being doing this, I doubt if I would ever think about doing a triathlon,” Sardes said. “Just watching him over the last few years — it’s been inspiring. He inspires me in every way in my life. It’s just his attitude, his humor. He’s just a very easy-going guy and there’s not a lot that bothers him.

“He chills me out because I’m more intense than he is. Just after seeing him go through all his treatments and taking in each one. It’s so hard to describe. He just loves life and I can’t say enough about him.”

While the Ironman championships aren’t scheduled to be shown on TV by NBC until Dec. 13, family, fans can watch live video and check on an individual’s progress at Ironman.com.

amoritz@buffnews.com

CITY OF LOCKPORT: 7 local athletes to compete in memory of teammate

By April Amadon
E-mail April
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

The Lock City will have a healthy representation at this Sunday’s Ford Ironman Triathlon in Madison, Wis.

Seven local athletes — calling themselves the Lock City Ironworks — will be swimming, biking and running, in honor and memory of a teammate who passed away this year.

In the Ironman Triathlon, competitors swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a full 26.2-mile marathon. There is a 17-hour time limit to complete all three events.

The races are capped at 2,000 competitors. Even with so many slots, the races fill up so fast that athletes have to sign up a year in advance, said Lock City Ironworks member Jeff Tracy.

“You gotta sign up the day after the previous year’s race,” he said.

Originally, eight people signed up to go from Lockport, including Tracy, Lockport City Clerk Dick Mullaney, his daughter Erin Mullaney, Kevin Mietlicki, Sam Pasceri, all of Lockport, along with Tony Garrow of North Tonawanda and Bill Seyler of Sanborn.

Local businessman and Buffalo Triathlon Club member Tim Chesko was signed up to go, as well, but he passed away unexpectedly in February.

Sunday’s race would have been Chesko’s second Ironman, and would have made him a “50 Stater” — someone who has completed a marathon in all 50 states.

“This would have been his Wisconsin,” Erin Mullaney said.

Thanks to sponsorship from the Riverside Credit Union, Niagara County Produce, Score This Inc, Tom’s Pro Bike, Pasceri’s Barber Shop, and the Buffalo Triathlon Club, the group will be making a donation to the Lockport YMCA in Chesko’s memory.

The custom uniforms worn by the Lock City Ironworks feature a tribute: “In Memory of Our Friend, Ironman Tim Chesko.”

“We wanted to remember him, to honor him,” Tracy said. “We really want to remember Tim and his commitment to the community and family. We all get kind of choked up talking about it.”

With seven participants, the group is the largest from any city in the state, after New York City, Tracy said.

The training has been rigorous. For several months, the group has been training individually and together — swimming at community pools and in Lake Ontario, biking and running together.

The runs are anywhere from a half-hour to three hours, and bike rides can last up to six hours, Tracy said.

Some team members will pair off and work out together when their schedules allow.

Erin said her longest bike ride so far was 100 miles, and her longest run has been 23 miles, so if she completes the Ironman, it’ll be the first time she’s run a marathon. She completed her first half-iron distance race this summer in Geneva, N.Y.

“This is by far the craziest thing I’ve chosen to do,” Erin said. “I definitely think it’s going to be mentally very challenging, as well as emotionally. There are highs and there are lows and in-betweens all throughout the day.”

She said the team has provided great support and preparation during training.

“There’s always someone to do something with,” she said. “It helps with motivation. You get to the point in training where you’re just tired, and you’d much rather just not go out there.”

She said she’s excited to be racing alongside her father, Dick Mullaney. She remembers watching him complete a marathon in 2005 in Lake Placid, which was “awesome to watch,” she said.

“The people that finished, it was old people, young people. People with artificial limbs. It makes you want to sign up the next day,” she said. “He’s the one that got me into this stuff. I hope I actually get to see him on the course, whether he’s passing me or I’m passing him. I want to be able to cheer.”

The actual race promises to be chaotic. It starts in the water, with a cannon blast signaling the beginning of the event for all 2,000 competitors.

“Everybody’s starting to swim at the same time,” Tracy said. “You’re gonna get punched. You’re gonna get kicked. You’re gonna get swum over, and you’re gonna swim over people. You’re gonna get your goggles knocked off.”

Even though it’ll be a long, grueling day, the Lock City Ironworks are honored to be competing alongside champion triathletes.

“I’ll be on the course at the same time as some of the best professionals in the world,” Tracy said. “I always tell people, ‘I can’t play basketball with Michael Jordan, but here are the best triathletes in the world.’ ”

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

Finger Lakes Triathlon draws over 1,000 participants on MPNnow.com

By Submitted

Fans cheer on their favorite athletes during Sunday’s Finger Lakes Triathlon in Canandaigua

Score This!!! helps out at the annual Camp Kenan Olympiad
July 30th, 2008
       

The Council for Responsible Sport (CRS) has selected the KLT as a "seedling" event to take place in the certification process to help us Green Up our event.  We are trying to make the KLT more sustainable and environmentally friendly.  Check them out at: http://www.responsiblesporting.org/

	How can you help? 1) Carbon Offsets - Athletes have the change to offset their carbon emissions when traveling to the race during the  registration process using Onemillionrevolution.org green registration system.  Score This!!! has selected Carbon Fund as the recipient. One Million Revolution software calculates how much carbon you would put into the atmosphere by using some simple math based on the size of your vehicle and its efficiency. CarbonFund: CarbonFund is a non-profit organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland. CarbonFund supports renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects globally that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the threat of climate change. Score This!!! has elected to all participant travel whether they offset their own or not to make this a carbon neutral event Score This!!! will also make this a carbon restorative event by offsetting the carbon of all participants x 2 We also pledge to make the carbon footprint of our entire staff neutral by choosing to offset the entire staffs travel with high-quality carbon credits
Athlete opt in	$44.86	Athletes paid this portion using OneMillionRevolutions.org Carbon Offset Module
Athlete opt out	$86.23	Score This!!! covers this portion for athletes who opt out during registration
Total	$131.09	23.999 tons of carbon dioxide being offset
Carbon Restorative	$262.18	47.998 tons being covered to carbon restorative
Staff Travel	$11.64	2.042 tons of CO2 from staff travel being offset (2 gasoline trucks w/trailers, 1 diesel truck w/ trailer, 5 cars)  All staff carpooled except one.
Total contribution to CarbonFund.org	$273.82	50.04 tons of CO2 being offset
Here is the link for certificate sent to us for the KLT offsets.
Over 54% of the electricity produced in the USA comes from the burning of Coal. For each Kilowatt-hour (kwh) you offset, you are eliminating the burning of approximately 1 pound of coal for energy. To put this into perspective, it takes 1 pound of coal to power a 100 watt light bulb for just 10 hours. 2) Participant Carpooling - KLT participants can use the interactive registration map to locate athletes that they may be able to carpool with. This helps reduce the amount of carbon emission by half. Score This!!! also has a page on their website where an athlete can post their info for carpooling. Participant Map: http://onemillionrevolutions.org/reg/map.jsp?eventID=59 Carpool This!!!: http://score-this.com/carpool.html Carpooling helps the environment. Burning one gallon of gasoline produces about 18 pounds of CO2. 3) Recycling All Score This!!! Multisport Series events in 2008 will institute a recycling program.  Please keep your eyes open for for the Recycling Station at the race.  it will separate bins labeled for paper, cardboard, metal/aluminum, plastic, glass and general garbage bins this year. This helps the amount of trash being sent to the landfill.  Our hope is at the end of the event we have less than 1lb of landfill waste per participant. We had 14 bags of trash which were a total of 100lbs. This didn't even fill one Dodge Ram 1500 truck bed. Most of this was composed of  gels packets and HEED cups from the run aid stations. This was about 33% of our trash. 66% was recycled. This works out to 0.17 lbs per athlete that went to the landfill for 2008. In plastic alone, we recycled 16 bags in 2008 Businesses can use pdf printing and save archives to cd or dvd instead of printing records and storing paper copies. Recycle by Donating your old cell phone(s) to the American Red Cross of Yates County. It's simple and FREE! Donated cell phones are sold to a company that recycles them. The money we receive from recycling cell phones is used to help others in time of need in Yates County.  The Red Cross will collect these under the volunteer tent. We collected 5 cell phones for 2008 and will continue this initiative in futures seasons. Look next year to also bring your old print and toner cartridges and small electronic devices. Electric Appliance Average Wattage Average Kilowatts Pounds of Coal Consumed Annually         Dishwasher 1,201 1.20 363 Microwave 1,450 1.45 190 Stove 12,200 12.20 730 Clothes Dryer 4,856 4.86 993 Iron 1,100 1.10 60 Washing Machine 512 0.51 103 Refrigerators/Freezers 2,250 2.25 1,500 Hair Dryer 600 0.60 25 B/W Television 45 0.05 100 Color Television 145 0.14 320 Clock 2 0 .01 320 Vacuum Cleaner 630 0.63 46 4) Sneaker Return - Please bring your old running shoes that are of no use to you anymore and place them in the collection bin.  We will box them up and donate them on behalf of the race to a soon to be determined charity.  We are looking for a local charity right in the Penn Yan Keuka Park area. This was the most successful out of all of the innovative feature that enhances sustainability of our event.  We collect 55 pairs of sneakers in 2008 and donated them to St. John's Community Outreach Center in Lockport, NY. 5) Charitable Giving - Since the inception of this event the original race director Jay Hollister started giving back to the American Red Cross of Yates County.  Since that time the race has given back almost $15,000 to help the ARC with its helping of others.  You can also make a tax deductible donation when an athlete use the OMR Green Registration System.  In 2008, 24 athletes made additional donations of $120 6) The American Red Cross of Yates county relies on donations to helps others in time of need whether it be a natural disaster or a fire.  The easiest way to make a non-monetary donation to the ARC of Yates County is to bring any of the following to be collected at the ARC Volunteer tent race day or in the designated box during packet pickup: toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss and deodorant. We only collected one tube of toothpaste for 2008. 7)  After the race is over, everyone is full of the all you can eat buffet provided by the Keuka College food service, and your award is in a great place in your home, please look for our survey via email to let us know how you think our sustainability efforts went for the 2008 event.  Our goal is to get at least 10% of the athletes to tell us how we did!!! 8)  FREE Clinic for all whether they are racing or not 06/07/08 in Dalhstom Hall.  This event will take place in a room TBD from 3-4pm.  This is the hour before packet pickup starts.  Coach Doug Bush from Endurancefactor.com with break this event into two 30 minute sessions.  This is the second of 6 clinics this year in the clinic series. Clinic #2A Get the most out of your transition!!!-Session 1   With USAT Certified Coach Doug Bush of Endurance Factor Free 3pm-3:30pm   Beginner-Advanced: Learn how to effectively and properly set up your transition to make your race smooth and fast! We will teach you everything you need to know from where to rack your bike, stash your helmet, and mount the bike! We will have 3 types of trisection racks for you to see. No equipment necessary!   Clinic #2B Everything you need to know to get thru your first triathlon!!! Session 2   With USAT Certified Coach Doug Bush of Endurance Factor Free 3:30pm-4pm Beginner: Everything you need to know to get thru your first triathlon. Clinic apps can be found here so we know you plan on coming to this event: 9) Check the website to see what else we have in store: http://keukalaketri.com

Score This!!! VP gets mention in Buffalo News report Amy Moritz training blog

January 15, 2008

One Million Revolutions Pushes Sustainability With Carbon Offsets

This report filed - January 2, 2008

One Million Revolutions, a race production company based in Portland, Oregon, has enhanced its registration system to allow participants to purchase carbon offsets for all travel to and from its races in 2008. These races include the Musselman Triathlon and ITU Pan American Cup in Geneva, New York; the Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon in Portland, Oregon; and the Fly by Night Duathlon in Watkins Glen, New York.

The purchase of carbon credits allows individuals to offset greenhouse gas emissions produced by environmentally destructive activities like driving and flying. The credits are purchased from third-party non-profit organizations like The Climate Trust, which use them to fund carbon-reducing projects like wind farms which would not otherwise exist.

One Million Revolutions (OMR) has created a custom registration system for its races, and a new module has been added in 2008 for events wishing to offset the carbon footprint resulting from participant travel. During the online registration process for all of OMR's races, participants indicate their mode of transportation to the race (bike, car, plane) and a "carbon equivalent" is calculated, indicating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by the travel. This quantity is converted to a fee for purchasing offsets, which participants then have the option of buying.

All offsets not bought by participants will be purchased by the events as part of their goal to stage "carbon neutral" races. One Million Revolutions is committed to organizing responsible sporting events, integrating practices and sourcing products which meet high standards of sustainability.

Registration for three of OMR's races opened January 1, and thus far 100 percent of participants have elected to offset their carbon footprint.

In addition to events directed by One Million Revolutions, the Keuka Lake Triathlon in Keuka Park, NY has also elected to offer participants the ability to offset their travel. The Keuka Lake Triathlon is run by Score-This, Inc. and uses the OMR registration system.

More information about the Musselman Triathlon can be found at musselmantri.com.
More information about the City of Portland Triathlon can be found at portlandtri.com.
More information about the Fly by Night Duathlon can be found at flybynightdu.com.

onemillionrevolutions.org
jeff@onemillionrevolutions.org (315) 636-4268

Score This!!! times one of Buffalo's largest races the Shamrock Run with 2222 braving the winter cold and wind.
Picture courtesy of Checkers AC ( March 3 2007 )

Clark Wins USAT/Training Peaks Swag Bag
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. ( Feb. 23 2007 )

Philip Lee Clark

Congratulations to Philip Lee Clark of Niagara Falls, N.Y. for winning a great USA Triathlon/Training Peaks Swag Bag.

The Bag’s contents – valued at $340 – included 6 months added to Clark’s Training Peaks Virtual Coach subscription, free CyclingPeaks WKO+ software, AQx Aquatic Training Shoes, USAT armskins, USAT socks, Yankz! Shoelaces, a Virtual Coach t-shirt, and a box of Peak Bars.

“Training Peaks and USAT have been partners for over three years now, and we wanted to work together to offer the USAT members a really enticing promotional package,” said Katie Schoeben, director of sales and marketing and Training Peaks. “The USAT National Team uses Training Peaks software to train, so we wanted to offer it to the members with an added bonus – so they could essentially train like the pros. We thought this promotion was a fun way to get the member base excited about the new year. We are really happy Philip won; he is an Ironman and has some big personal and charitable goals for this year. We are glad to help him achieve those goals.”

All the 33-year-old Clark needed to do was sign-up, renew, or upgrade his Virtual Coach subscription between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31 to be entered into the contest.

Clark was recently named to the Snickers Marathon Team 2007 and is currently in training for the Ironman USA and the Virginia Double Iron Triathlon. For the Double he has joined up with the Blazeman Foundation to raise awareness as well as money for ALS research. Interested supporters can go to http://www.active.com/donate/peeleeclark

Here’s a quick Q&A with our winner:

What do you do outside of training?
I work for Score This!!!, a race management and timing company in Western New York. I am the Transition Captain for their Multisport Series. I also work as a USAT CAT 3 Official. Currently I am attending SUNY at Buffalo as a graduate student in the Theatre Education program.

I am a professional actor. I belong to Actors Equity Association and I have had a great career that has taken me all over the world. I performed over 1,250 performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s "Starlight Express," the musical on rollerskates. I got to do a promotion for it in Germany as I speed skated a marathon in a costume from the show. It was my "pro" debut. Lucky for me,
the interview at the finish line was in English. I was tired because of the non-aerodynamic costume.

I also sang on the Original Cast Recording of "Grease" in Germany.

What are your athletic goals?
I hope to be the oldest person ever to finish Kona. I also pray for a stork to bring me a carbon bike for the Virginia Double Iron Triathlon.

Any specific race highlights, or life highlights for that matter?
Singing the National Anthem at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship 2006 as well as racing as an athlete. Look for me to be singing at Ironman Kentucky.

© 2007 USA Triathlon. All rights reserved.
 

Nerves (and calves) of steel

By BRIAN EMELSON
Adventurer
Posted: Feb 17, 07:06 PM EST

Local athlete Brian Emelson pushes his limits as an Ironman. The Victor director of parks and recreation wanted to challenge himself in the world-renowned competition.

Two from Score This!!! become certified as USAT Race Directors.

Race Director Certification Course  
The Race Director Certification Program launched its inaugural course at the 2007 USAT Congress. Race director certification is a 18-hour education course that will take place over two days. The culmination will be the awarding of certificates to race directors who successfully complete the course. This course will address the latest in race directing methods, insurance/risk management trends, and USAT sanctioning compliance. While the certification course is not mandatory for race directors who sanction their events with USA Triathlon, we feel that the program is extremely valuable to both new and seasoned event directors.
Below is the picture of the inaugural class.

Check out the entire newsletter here!!!
http://foundation.wchob.org/PDFs/CWorld_FallWinter_2006_07.pdf
 

Score This!!! participates in the YMCA Healthy Kids Day April 18th, 2006


 

USAT's Grand Prix Series Ad

Click here to check it out!!!

No child left behind? by Jeff Henderson IT Interactive Editor This report filed December 27, 2005 A selection of new USAT annual members.   Photo By Jan Regan Photography   In mid-November the USA Triathlon board approved a change to its youth membership policy. The change received little attention amidst announcements of a new race series, a venue for Age Group Nationals, and the scrapping of the regional championship system, but the blanket policy for the nation's 17 and under triathletes may leave some children behind in its attempts to track and market to this neglected segment of USAT's membership. The youth membership shift in policy takes all of one sentence to summarize but has profound ramifications in such areas as marketing, race management, and broadening triathlon's appeal. In the past triathletes under 18 years of age were given the option of becoming an annual USAT member (for $15 per year) or purchasing a one-day membership for races in which they would like to participate (for $3 each). Effective the stroke of midnight on January 1, the one-day youth membership will disappear and all youth will be required to purchase an annual membership for $5 per year. USAT states that the new policy will "benefit parents and race directors" as well as the governing body itself, but will it? The impetus behind the change was to make it easier to track and market to youth by "allowing USAT to build a database of young members that it can contact with information about events and programs," according to B.J. Hoeptner Evans, head of media relations at USAT. Since one of USAT's core missions is to grow its membership base, youth seems a reasonable group to target because an effective policy will reap benefits for years. And since a core component of USAT's marketing in 2006 will be a new magazine published internally and distributed to all annual members, the organization needed a way to convert its youth from primarily one-day members to annual cardholders. USAT also could not easily market annual memberships to youths in the past because of the way one-day memberships were commonly purchased at races. Many kid's triathlons found it convenient to bundle a one-day membership with the race registration fee with the thought that, since most kids didn't have an annual membership, one fee and one application would be simpler and quicker than two fees and two applications (one for the race and one for the USAT one-day membership). This method did not afford USAT a voice in the process, though, and with it the potential for the annual membership up-sell. "We want our athletes and parents to know about USAT and the resources we have to offer, and including the $3 fee in registration did not allow for that exposure," explains Liz Tucker, event sanctioning coordinator at USAT. In the new model races cannot bundle memberships with race applications. Parents must complete the USAT annual membership form, pay $5, and receive a membership card before their child can compete. USAT maintains that this is an improved process because parents don't need to be present at all races - they can send their children with membership card and photo ID in hand. And those children who do not have a photo ID? USAT says that any adult with identification will do, as the membership card will be evidence that the parent has already signed the necessary waivers. As with all blanket policies, the devil is in the details. A child with no membership card will be allowed to purchase one at race registration, but this requires the race registration volunteers to have knowledge of USAT annual membership policies and procedures. And it requires the re-introduction of annual membership sales at sanctioned races, a process that USAT worked to eliminate in 2005 because it was seen as cumbersome, complicated, and easily botched. USAT has given thought to many of the issues that will arise, and it confidently asserts that a survey of race directors indicates that they feel "the positives outweigh the negatives, and the administrative [concerns] can be worked through." Some race directors, however, have concerns that registration procedures will become slower and more complicated, and participation may drop due to additional paperwork and expense for parents. Tom Ziebart, director of one of the largest series of kid's triathlons in the U.S., the IronKids Triathlon Series, reflects the optimism of the policy when he states, "Hopefully this will increase the number of kids participating in the events." But he also sees its problems: "Bummer! Another step in the registration process." Though the difference between an annual membership and the old one-day license is a mere $2, the amount may become the straw that breaks the camel's back for parents of a child who wants to do one race per year - two dollars represents a 10% increase if the race itself costs $20. USAT partially justifies the price increase by stating that the same membership card may still be valid for the following year's race because the membership expires at the end of each month. Thankfully, many youth triathletes will not be unduly burdened by the new policy. A large number of children come into the sport through their triathlete parents, who are accustomed to membership fees from master's swimming, USAT, health clubs, cycling clubs, track clubs, and so on. But the low-income child, or the child whose parents do not compete, or the child who wants to do one race per year on an informal, recreational basis is going to encounter troubles with the new policy. For those race directors tasked with the delicate balancing act of participant safety, tight budgets, and overextended parents, the new policy may become a barrier to entry and ultimately slow the membership growth it was meant to fuel. "For the past several years, Score This has made a commitment to triathlon as a family lifestyle by offering fun and low-cost kid's races at all of our events," writes Bob Giardini, president of Score This in Buffalo, N.Y. and the race director for one of USAT's Youth Grand Prix Series races in 2006. "These are non-competitive, non-timed events that have had kids as young as 5 and 6 years old riding banana seat bikes with handlebar streamers. Parents get the opportunity to involve their children from a very young age so that triathlon is not just 'where mommy goes every weekend while daddy watches us.' These kids have a blast, and what a feeder system for Junior programs. But this isn't an environment where the child and the parents are making a season-long commitment as with T-ball, soccer, or dance class. The new USAT policy will likely hurt participation in this type of event where all we are really looking to USAT to provide is liability insurance." On the plus side, teenagers under 18 entering adult races will no longer have to spend $9 for a one-day membership or $30 for an annual membership. But what's good for teens competing in adult races might not necessarily be good for children competing in children's races. Perhaps "youth" memberships need to be further sub-divided into "child" and "teen," allowing race directors to offer simple one-day memberships at non-competitive children's races and low-cost annual memberships to adolescents looking to do adult races. USAT has taken a proactive step to address perceived shortcomings in a crucial segment of its membership. It is encouraging that input and feedback were sought from another important segment, its race directors. But it will take time to assess the policy's effectiveness at driving membership and dispersing information to youth members. Triathlons for children are booming in popularity across the country; race directors hope that these policy changes will encourage this trend and not thwart efforts to provide a fun, affordable day at the races for the entire family. http://insidetriathlon.com/news/fea/3131.0.html  http://insidetriathlon.com/news/fea/3131.1.html
What is the USA Triathlon Grand Prix Series? http://www.usatriathlon.org/Events/2006_Grand_Prix/GP_Youth.htm 2006 will mark the inaugural season of the USAT Grand Prix Series. The aim of the Series is to showcase a selection of the best USAT sanctioned events and to give each race the opportunity to exhibit its individual characteristics on a national stage. The races in the Series were selected based on strict criteria that included sanctioning compliance, safety, quality and athlete support. Each year, USAT will select Grand Prix events based on their previous year’s evaluation. This will allow each race to showcase their individual characteristics on a national stage. 2006 Youth Grand Prix Race Schedule NAME DATE CITY STATE WEB SITE Cedar Park Kids' Triathlon  May 7 Cedar Park TX www.leaguelineup.com/cptri Peachtree City Youth Triathlon June 3 Peachtree City GA www.ptcrc.com Escape from School Triathlon June 4 Bear DE www.piranha-sports.com A Tri in the Buff - Youth Tri July 2 Buffalo NY www.score-this.com Table Mountain Tri - Youth July 15 Arvada CO www.tablemountaintriathlon.com Valley Kids' Triathlon  July 15 Liberty Lake WA www.valleygirltri.com Tri-Fever Youth Triathlon Aug. 5 Land O Lakes FL www.tri-babe.com Sylvania Super Kids Triathlon Aug. 12 Sylvania OH www.eliteendeavors.com USAT Youth National Championship  Aug. 26 Wisconsin Dells WI www.usatriathlon.org Silicon Valley Kid's Triathlon   TBA Cupertino CA www.svtriclub.org Longview Youth Triathlon  TBA Lee's Summit MO www.trikc.org Scoring System: Athletes that compete in a minimum of two events in the duathlon series will be entered in to the overall rankings for the duathlon distance by age group. Ranking points will be awarded as follows: Points Awarded First Place 10 points x no. of participants in age group Second Place 8 points x no. of participants in age group Third Place 6 points x no. of participants in age group Fourth Place 4 points x no. of participants in age group Fifth Place 2 points x no. of participants in age group   Tiebreakers 1) Head-to-head 2) Most first-place finishes in age group 3) Lowest score when adding place finishes Tiebreakers explained: At the end of the series if there is a tie for first place, the tie will be decided by: 1) Head-to-head: If the athletes at question participated in the same race then the person that finished higher will be the overall champion. 2) Most first-place finishes in age group: If the athletes did not complete head to head then the athlete with the most first-place finishes in their age group will become the overall champion. 3) Lowest score when adding place finishes: If the athletes are still tied after the second tie breaker then each of their finishes will be added together. For example if Finisher 1 had the following finishes -- first, first, second -- and Finisher 2 had placed -- first, first, third -- Finisher 1 would have 4 points and Finisher 2 would have 5 points. Therefore, since Finisher 1 had the lowest score then he/she would become the overall winner. Scoring Example: Joe Smith (9-10) competes in three Youth Grand Prix Series events in 2006. In his first event he places first out of a field of 100 in his age group. In his second event he places second out of a field of 50 in his age group. Finally, in his third race he finishes third out of a field of 150 in his age group. Using the table above, Joe Smith amassed 1,000 points (10 points x 100 participants) from his first race, 400 points (8 points x 50 participants) from his second race and 900 points (6 points x 150 participants) from his third race. His overall score is 2,300 points. This score will then be used to determine his overall placing in his age group. If Joe Smith is tied on points with another athlete then the tiebreakers will be used to determine who will hold the higher ranking. © 2005 USA Triathlon. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy.
One of our athletes makes the news	Catharine Boyle Niagara Falls, NY

Why I Love Sports

I love Triathlons because you get to swim, bike and run.

I started Triathlons with my Girl Scout Troop. We had to get up real early in the morning. First we would give out water for the adult race. Then we do the kid race. The first time I did it I crashed into one of my younger friends on the bike part of the race. I didn't; get hurt but I got some bruises. I kept on going. When you do a Triathlon you have to be ready and prepared to do it. Triathlons aren't about winning or losing there just about having FUN and doing your best.

How to do Triathlons

First you line up at the edge of the water. Then you race into the water and around a ball. When you run to get on your bike. When you're on your bike you ride around a cone 10 times. Then you start running. You run around a cone 2 times. Then you run towards the finish line. When you cross it you get a medal and a water bottle.

http://www.girlsport.net/mambo/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=69

Cheektowaga Times                                         August 5, 2005

Dalton eyes-up Ironman as triathlon popularity grows   FUTURE IRONMAN...Patrick Dalton Jr. enters the transition area at the Beaver Island Triathlon where he placed first in his age group in the Formula One competition. A lifeguard at the Town Park pool, Dalton has been competing in triathlon events for the last seven years and someday he hopes to become an Ironman. With the hopes of someday earning the title "Ironman," Cheektowaga native Patrick Dalton Jr. has already made his mark at local triathlons. "Right now I am getting the urge to do an Ironman, hopefully in the next two years," said Dalton In an event that forces its athletes to endure a grueling 2.2 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run, few athletes have the courage to attempt an Ironman, and even fewer are able to complete it. As a member of the Buffalo Triathlon Club, Dalton trains for multi-sport events with other Western New York enthusiasts, including Cheektowaga resident Ken Tocha, who was featured in last week’s edition of the Times. Dalton said he began competing in triathlons in 1999 because he was looking for a different way to stay in shape. "I’ve been involved for about seven years now," Dalton said. "My father looked at an ad and said, ‘do you want to try a triathlon?’" Competing mostly in sprint triathlons–an event where athletes swim 400 meters, bike 15 miles and then run a 5K–this 21-year-old Trocaire college student, said he recently completed a Half Ironman. "Every year they have a series called the Score-This Series," said Dalton. "It consists of six or more races. I did the Half Ironman three weeks ago in Geneva." Dalton finished the race in 6:20:00, placing him 227 of 700 racers. Locally, Dalton won his age group at a Formula One race on Beaver Island–a race where the athletes run two sprint triathlons in row- on June 19 and finished third overall in the Score-This series for 2004. Over the past few years, multi-sports have seen a growing number of young participants. Although Dalton is an old pro at a young age, he believes many people have started racing for the same reasons he did. "In the Score-This series I have seen where there has been 100 competitors and up to 200 competitors, and it is ever growing in popularity," explained Dalton. "People want to see how well they can do at something where they are doing three sports at once." Dalton added that he has also seen a growing number of participants who are over weight and come to the competitions as a way to get into shape. "I see that growing in popularity too," said Dalton. "Instead of sitting on the couch and watching TV, people go out and do something." Because many of the athletes in the shorter events participate for the personal challenge, rather than the competition, these races oftentimes create a high level of camaraderie. "I’m always having fun and seeing friends," said Dalton. "At the last two Score-This races we were passing each other and egging each other on. It’s just something cool to do." In addition to the numerous multi-sport events he competes in, Dalton also runs single race events. Two weeks ago, Dalton ran in the Crabapple 5K in Cheektowaga, and he has completed the Buffalo Marathon. Dalton said that he hopes to run more marathons when he gets out of school and has more time to train. Although competing in an Ironman may be a few years down the road, Dalton said he will continue to compete in local events and hopes to participate in more Half Ironmans before he tries the real thing. "I’m going to do a sprint triathlon in Wilson on August 7 and then another one in Cazanovia and a duathlon in Lewiston later in the month," commented Dalton. To learn more about multi-sports, or to enter a race, visit www.buffalotriathlonclub.com or www.score-this.com. http://www.cheektowagatimes.com/

Winter 2005 Score

Score This!!!, Inc. speaks at the 65th Annual
NYS Recreation and Parka Society, Inc. April 11th, 2005

Score This!!!, Inc. lands the
 Mary M. Gooley Finger Lakes Triathlon

Score This!!! demos at the Y-Tri February 16th, 2005

Fall 2004 Score This!!! makes the Tonawanda News

Fall 2004 Score This!!! makes the Niagara Gazette

Fall 2004 Score This!!! makes the Lockport Journal

9/19/2004 Score This!!! makes the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Outdoors digest Gary Fallesen Staff Writer (September 19, 2004) — Triathlete Grimm dominates S.O.S. Erik Grimm continued his domination of the Survival of the Shawangunks (S.O.S.), an eight-stage triathlon in New Paltz, Ulster County, last Sunday with his second straight victory, fourth in six years and seventh since 1992. The SOS consists of a 30-mile bike ride, a 4.2-mile run, a 1.1-mile swim of Lake Awosting, a 5.5-mile run, a half-mile swim of Lake Minnewaska, an 8-mile run, a half-mile swim of Lake Mohonk and an uphill .7-mile run. Grimm, 38, of Brighton, finished in 4 hours, 21 minutes,59 seconds - 11 minutes, 16 seconds off the course record he set in1993. "I'm not sure what it is about this race," Grimm says, "other than it plays to my strengths - right distance, interesting terrain, uphill bike, multiple swims and runs, many transitions, potentially cold water." Mike Wilcox of Webster was 13th out of 138 participants in 5:09:11 and Gae Orsini of Mendon won the women's 35-to-39 age group in 5:35:16. Curt and Mary Eggers of Henrietta claimed another husband-and-wife victory when they both finished first at the Danforth BTC Fall Frolic in Barker, Niagara County. Curt finished the 400-meter swim, 12.4-mile bike and 3.1-mile run in 58 minutes, 24seconds, while Mary was eighth overall in 1:03:14. The 144 competitors included Brian Emelson of Brighton (fourth, 1:01:40) and Michael Coyle of Rochester (fifth, 1:02:29). In the duathlon, Janine Roode of Mendon finished second among females and 15th overall in only her second race. Suzanne Maio-Wade of Rochester was the top female finisher in 14th place. The Five Dirty Lost Souls from the Rochester area finished 21st out of 302 teams in the Dances With Dirt 100K trail run relay Sept. 11 in Hell, Mich. The team, captained by Molly Huff of Fairport, included Dennis Vankerkhove and Ian Webber of Rochester, and Greg Crego of Geneseo, Livingston County. Linda Grossman of Rochester, the fifth Dirty Lost Soul, was out with an injury. http://www.rochesterdandc.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040919/SPORTS/409190335/-1/ARCHIVE4

8/15/2004 Score This!!! makes the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

National du title for Burchill By Gary Fallesen Staff writer (August 15, 2004) — Beth Burchill, a 38-year-old state trooper from Rochester, won her age group and was sixth overall among women at the Duathlon National Championships in Alpharetta, Ga., last Sunday. She completed the 6.2-mile run, 24.8-mile bike, 3.1-mile run in 2 hours, 13 minutes, 11 seconds. Burchill finished sixth in her age group (35 to 39) last year, when she went on to claim an age-group bronze medal at the world championships. Erik Grimm of Brighton and three teammates finished 17th out of 42 teams in the World Championship Adventure Race, Aug. 1 to 8 in Western Newfoundland, Canada. Grimm, 38, who was competing with a broken rib suffered while rock climbing before the race, finished with Scott Pleban of Virginia, Michelle Barnes of Utica and Peter Spagnoli of Long Island in four days, 23 hours, 51 minutes, 23 seconds. The race consisted of trekking, kayak paddling, dory paddling, mountain biking, ropes ascending and ropes rappelling. Carl Johnston of Ontario, Wayne County, won the Sea-to-Summit Triathlon from Portsmouth, N.H., to the top of Mount Washington on July 31. Competitors kayaked 12 miles up the Piscataqua River, biked 90 miles, and then ran 8.5 miles up Mount Washington. Johnston finished in 8:40:52 with Jason Urckfitz of Brockport third in 9:20. Curt and Mary Eggers of Henrietta continued their husband-wife multi-sport sweep with victories at the Wilson Wet and Wild Triathlon last weekend in Niagara County. Curt, 48, won the .4-mile swim, 20-mile bike, 4-mile run in 1:27.27. Mary, 30, was sixth overall and won the women's title in 1:36.25. Brian Emelson of Brighton was fifth. For more on these races: www.dannonduathlon.com www.arworldchampionship.com www.score-this.com http://democratandchronicle.com/sports/general/0815B45826H_sports.shtml Copyright 2005 Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.

8/7/2004 Score This!!! What 2 Do in Western New York

Wilson's Wet and Wild Triathlon on August 7, 2004. Posted by:  Marcella Overton, Editorial Assistant     Created: 7/22/2004 4:15:01 PM Updated: 8/16/2004 10:34:01 AM What 2 Do...Wilson's Wet and Wild Triathlon, and Kids TRI Race, Saturday August 7th in Wilson,New York. A USAT sanctioned race beginning at 9am., with categories for all ages, including corporate - all to benefit local charites! Kid's Tri Race - All participatns receive a finisher's medal. This is a USAT sanctioned race. All entrants will be required to present a valid USAT membership card or include the one day $9 fee. Race Packets and advance registration Friday, Aug 6th at the Wilson House Inn Restaurant, 300 Lake Street, Wilson, New 14172 from 5-9pm and Race Day Starting at 7am. For more information call (716) 667-2651. RACE STARTS AT 9:00AM!! Copyright © 2005 by WGRZ-TV Buffalo. Terms of Service    http://www.wgrztv.com/2go/news_article.aspx?storyid=21962

10/05/2003 Score This!!! makes the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

 OUTDOORS ^12D ROCHESTER, NEW YORK DemocratandChronicle.com

Husband, wife win race series Curt and Mary Eggers, a husband-and-wife multisport duo from Henrietta, won the men's and women's races at the Rizzo's BTC Duathlon in Grand Island, Niagara County, Sept. 27 to clinch the season Score-This series. In addition to his first-place finish in the Rizzo's 2.5-mile run, 16-mile bike, and 2.5-mile run (which he completed in 1 hour, 10 minutes), 46-year-old Curt had a second and two thirds in the five-race series. Mary, 29, was the top woman and 10th overall after finishing 20th overall in the Grand Island field in 1:18:06.
  Kim McDowell of Rochester won her age group (40-44) and was third among all women on the season. For more on the series: www.score-this.com.

.SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2003

Eggert hopes to complete comeback By David Winters Lockport Journal

Crossing the finish line Sunday will be a significant step back for Detective Capt. Larry Eggert. The veteran Lockport police detective, along with nearly 300 other participants, will compete in the fourth annual Fall Frolic Triathlon/Duathlon at YMCA Camp Kenan in Bark­er. Eggert is challenging him­self to complete a 400-meter swim in Lake Ontario, a 20-kilometer bicycle ride and 5K run. Officers Warren Hale and Jill Harrison will comprise the Lockport police team Eaaert with Eggert. "It's a goal of mine to finish after being hurt," Eggert said. "If I can finish, it help close a door on a bad memory." The 22-year LPD veteran suffered an injured shoulder in a shootout Feb. 9 at the Village Mobile Home Park. K-9 officer Steven Ritchie and Eggert, along with Lock-port resident Jeffrey Erie, were wounded by Jason Kanalley before Kanalley turned the gun on himself. Eggert returned to work in mid-July and wasassigned to "light duty," doing mostly administrative work and helping out around the department. Eggert hopes to return to full-duty in about a month. Eggert, an avid runner, became interested in doing the triathlon to prove to himself he had mostly recovered and he could again perform tasks he didbefore the shooting. However, he admits the 400-meter swim will be the toughest challenge to overcome. "I am not the strongest swimmer, espe­cially with one good wing," Eggert said. "I hope I don't drown." The Niagara County Sheriff's Department has about a dozen employees participating in the triathlon competition, including Sheriff Thomas Beilein. See Eggert, 2A

 Eggert: wants full recovery From page 1 A

Sgt. Jeff Juron talked with Eggert last week while train­ing for the triathlon at Wilson-Tuscarora State Park and couldn't believe his eyes. "Just seeing him recover so quickly and compete in the triathlon^ Juron said, "ifs a motivator for the rest of us." Participants will run a mile, bike 20 kilometers and then run another 5K. The event, sponsored by the Buffalo Triathlon Club, will start at 9 a.m. Sunday, with proceeds benefiting the YMCA Camp Kenan Scholar­ship Fund. Contact David Winters at 439-9222, Ext. 248, or wintersd@gnnewspaper. corn.

 
RUNNING
Chip timing system takes hold locally 
By MICHAEL BEEBE 

12/15/2002  
 
 Runners in the last four Turkey Trots have run with the ChampionChip, a small plastic disk in 
their  shoes that electronically times their runs as they pass over electronic mats. Now every local road 
race, triathlon, duathlon or bicycle race can have ChampionChip scoring. Don Mitchell of Runtime 
Services and Pat Leone of Leone Timing and Results Services have joined together and bought the 
ChampionChip system for road races. Bob Giardini and Richard Clark of Score This!!! have bought a 
smaller system for triathlons and related events. For Mitchell, the primary road race scorer in 
Buffalo during the last two decades, it was a logical next step. Mitchell was one of the first race 
scorers anywhere to use electronic bar codes to keep track of times when he started in 1981. He has 
invested thousands of dollars in computer systems to keep races here as well timed as anywhere, and 
did the first chip race here in September 1999. Mitchell brought the ChampionChip here then for a 
relatively small race of 237 runners at Lebros. There was no money to be made that day; he did it to 
protect his longtime contract with the Turkey Trot.Turkey Trot organizers had announced it was going to 
the ChampionChip that year, and Mitchell wanted to be sure he could pull it off. He did the Lebros run 
and then underbid the company that expected to win the Turkey Trot contract. In the same vein, Mitchell 
and Leone, a Canisius College senior and top cross country runner who owns his own scoring company, d
ecided it was time to buy the ChampionChip - Mitchell has rented the system for the Turkey Trot - to 
protect their upstate franchise. The two have worked together in recent years. "Both Pat and I have 
felt the upstate area from Syracuse to Buffalo was vulnerable," Mitchell said. "I didn't want someone 
lse doing it." "We were vulnerable," agreed Leone. "We thought, what the heck, if we can pool our 
resources, we can do it now." Mitchell and Leone laid out about $30,000 for the scoring systems and 
mats - they'll also need to buy a trailer to haul them around - and even then they'll have to rent some 
more equipment to do a race as large as the Turkey Trot. And until they spend as much as $80,000, they 
will not be able to record net times as Mitchell does now at the Turkey Trot. A brief explanation: 
Turkey Trot runners first activate the chips when they run over the mats at the starting line. The chips 
send another signal when runners cross the finish line. The difference in the two times is the chip time, 
or net time. That is sometimes the same, sometimes far different than the gun time, or the time it takes 
a runner to get across the finish line after the gun sounds. As anyone who starts in the back at the 
Turkey Trot knows, it can take minutes to get across the starting line. If it takes two minutes, because 
of the crowd, to get to the starting line, that runner's gun time will be two minutes slower than the 
runner's actual time between start and finish. Mitchell and Leone won't be able to offer net time with 
the number of systems they've bought so far. They'll only have mats enough for the finish line. So while 
those mats will record every runner's finishing time, they will be identical to the gun times that 
runners now get in traditionally scored races. But race results will be available almost instantly, and 
while finish line crews will still be needed, there won't be as many required as before. When there are 
sometimes four to five races a weekend, finish line crews can sometimes be stretched thin. Mitchell and 
Leone can still rent more systems for bigger races, like the Turkey Trot, or for any race that wants net 
times as well as gun times. Mitchell is a strong backer of the finish line crews put out by Emery Fisher 
and John Beishline, and said when the ChampionChip first surfaced here that it was no reflection on the 
job the crews do pulling tags at finish lines. "It's a great technology that solves many problems, and 
it has an important role in large races," Mitchell wrote The News in complaint three years ago to a 
column by yours truly that said the chip could cut down on lines in the finish chutes. "But it's crucial 
to understand that the chip is coming to Buffalo because race organizers want it and because it's a good 
technology, not because of deficiencies in the race or finish line management." 
Mitchell doesn't yet know how many race directors will sign up for the chip - he'll still score races the 
traditional way - but says it looks like it will cost races at least $1 extra per runner for chip 
rentals. Giardini said he and Clark decided to buy a system for triathlons because of their frustration 
in trying to find the right system to score for multistage races. Here it's simple. The competitor with 
a chip activates it crossing mats for the swim, bike and run, although with the bike, the chip is 
usually placed on the bicycle itself to make sure its signal is picked up. "The system we'll have is 
a different one from Don's," Giardini said. "This is triathlon specific." The ChampionChip was first 
developed in Holland, and successfully used in a 1993 race there. It made its debut the following year 
at the Berlin Marathon, came to Boston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles marathons in 1996, and is now used by 
most major road races in the country. There are only six registered ChampionChip dealers in New York 
State, with three in Western New York.
Copyright 1999 - 2002 - The Buffalo News