Champions Crowned at 2024 USA Triathlon Cross National Championships

GASTON, Ore. - Off-road multisport athletes raced on July 13-14 at Hagg Lake in Gaston, Oregon, for the 2024 USA Triathlon Cross National Championships, hosted by Why Racing Events at the HAGG Lake Triathlon & Multi-Sports Festival.

Hosting over 1,000 athletes, the weekend featured the Cross Triathlon and Cross Duathlon National Championships. The event also featured other races, including relays, off-road trail run events and a sprint and Olympic-distance triathlon.

With some of the best outdoor woodlands in the country, Oregon is home to hundreds of miles of incredible mountain biking and gravel trails, providing a prime location for USA Triathlon Cross Nationals. If you want to visit Gaston or Hagg Lake, you can find more information here.

In the Cross Triathlon National Championships, athletes competed on a triathlon course consisting of a 750-meter swim, 22-kilometer bike on dirt, single-track trails and a 5k trail run.

The Cross Duathlon National Championships consisted of a 5k trail run, followed by a 22k mountain bike ride.

Sixteen-year-old junior triathlete Jack Billowitz (Bend, Ore.), took the tape in the Cross Triathlon National Championships, clocking in at 1 hour, 38 minutes and 15 seconds. Coming out of the swim in fifth place, Billowitz swiftly moved into first during the bike. Jeremiah Romano (Woodland, Wash.) placed second in a time of 1:40:48 and Jeremy Kalmus (Bellevue, Wash.) placed third in a time of 1:44:24. Both Romano and Kalmus placed first in their age groups, 40-44 and 35-39, respectively.

Caitlin Christly (Vancouver, Wash.) placed first overall in the women's race in a time of 2:10:11. Coming out of the swim in third place, Christly paced 9.7 miles per hour on the bike trail and had a 9:23 pace on the trail run. Christly was followed by Patricia Smaldone (Portland, Ore.) in a time of 2:21:24 and Gwen Hyrciw (Portland, Ore.) in a time of 2:23:13. Smaldone and Gyrciw also won their age groups, 55-59 and 30-34, respectively.

After a tight race in the Cross Duathlon National Championship, Derek Armer-Derner (Colorado Springs, Colo.) placed first overall with a time of 1:28:13. Armer-Derner was followed in by David Engstrom (Beaverton, Ore.) at 1:30:13 and Brent Peacock (Jackson, Wyo.) in 1:32:35, who both won their age groups, 55-59 and 60-64, respectively.

Angie Crabo (Scottsdale, Ariz.) took the tape in the women's race in a time of 1:41:50. Melanie Myden (San Diego, Calif.) ran through the finish line in a time of 2:07:28 winning the 40-44 age group, and was followed by Patricia Smaldone (Portland, Ore.) with a time of 2:11:28.