The Race for the XTERRA South Central Region

The XTERRA South Central Region was one of the most competitive fields for the 2017 Regional Champship race. This is no surprise as the region covers a huge geographical area (looking at you, Texas), and includes eight races.

Athletes from ages 15-65 fought hard all season to earn the most points in their age group. The winner earned the title of XTERRA Regional Champ as well as a slot at the 2017 XTERRA World Championship in Maui in October.

Returning Regional Champ, Beverly Enslow, won her 16th title, which makes her the most decorated female Regional Champ in XTERRA history, while Mike Carter won his 11th title. All told, there were 12 returning Regional Champs, including Alissa Magrum, who won the women’s 40-44 age group.

Enslow, who won the 60-64 age group, has been competing in races since she was 13. Her first XTERRA season was in 2000, and she admits that right away, she was hooked.

“Every competitor is a friend,” said Enslow. “Racing is racing – and everything else is just a family reunion.”

One of the closest battles among the women was between Jenny Burden and Sara Kraftcheck, both from Texas. You may know Burden from her blog, Cowgirls Tri.

“Let me tell you, this season came with a lot of mixed feelings for me as a competitor,” said Burden. “I had my friend Sara in my age group with me, and she beats me every time! We were planning on competing in the exact same number of races, but she DNF’d in one race because of a medical reason, giving me one more.”

Burden is referring to the new rule this year in which every point counts in the race for regional championship. You can learn more about the rationale behind the new rule at www.XTERRAplanet.com. 

When Kraftcheck asked Burden to come to XTERRA Tri the Torture with her so she didn’t have to drive alone, Burden almost refused, just so her friend could catch back up on points.

“It just felt unsportsmanlike to beat someone in points who actually places ahead of you every time,” said Burden. “We had a good laugh about how competitive we are while still being able to be friends.In the end, we had a really fun trip driving from Austin to New Mexico to race, agreeing it’s always better to race with friends than win alone.”

Hans Ryham didn’t even know about the rule change until partway through the season, after he had already competed outside his region in XTERRA Blackwater – a flatter and faster course than he can find in Texas.

Although he only started competing in XTERRA in last year, Ryham was the 2016 South Central Regional Champ in the 35-39 age group his first year racing. In the 2016 XTERRA World Championship, he came out of the water in the top ten percent.

“It was exciting coming out of the water so well, but it went downhill after that,” said Ryham.

Ryham’s first go at Worlds only made him more determined to do well this year, especially since 12-time regional champ Kyle Grieser was now in his age group.

“Kyle is such a fierce competitor and inspired me to train very hard in an attempt to get close or win one or two races against him,” said Ryham, who finished behind Grieser all season.  “My strength is the swim and I was going to try to get as far ahead as I could and not lose out on the mountain bike. My running is strong, but Kyle is faster.”

Despite winning every head to head race against Ryham, Grieser lost the battle for regional championship.

“I realize that ninety percent of triathletes have a decent career and make good money so it’s not a big deal for them to travel to many races,” said Grieser. “As for myself, I’m just a broke firefighter who has finally saved up enough money to go to Worlds for the first time.”

At Maui this year, Ryham and Grieser will again go head to head because Grieser deferred his 2016 qualifying slot at the XTERRA World Championship until this year. (2016 was the last year athletes were able to defer.)

There are a few ways to qualify for the XTERRA World Championship. In addition to earning the Regional Champ title, athletes can qualify at 42 races in 33 countries. In the US, athletes can qualify for Worlds at XTERRA Oak Mountain, XTERRA Beaver Creek, and at the XTERRA Pan Am Championship. If an athlete qualifies through one of these races and also wins the Regional Championship, the Regional Championship slot will roll down to the runner up.

This is what will enable Larry Klutenkamper to head to Maui this October. Klutenkamper, who lives in St. Louis, had a phenomenal season but because of his location, he has to travel further to race. His quest for the regional championship came down to a battle with Mike Carter, of Austin, Texas, who scored 442 points to Klutenkamper’s 300.

“I’m super jazzed to go to Maui,” said Klutenkamper, after being notified that he was going to Worlds because of the roll-down rule. “Having that goal changed my mental direction and got me committed to doing more than just training – it made me a better person and gave me the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people.”

Michael Drackert, also of St. Louis, lost his race for Regional Champ to Texas rookie, Jordan Winar. But Drackert is already planning his comeback for 2018.

“I love the trails. I love the process. I love competing,” said Drackert. “So for 2018, I’m very motivated to try again. I realize that I likely would have qualified for Worlds if I raced a regional championship in Alabama – a 12 hour drive – or Colorado – a 10 hour drive – so I will be including at least one in my schedule next year.”

On the women’s side,  St. Louis-based athlete, Lara Houseman, lost a close race with Liesel McAllister.

“This year I traveled 3000 miles and spent 50 hours in the car to do five races. In Texas, there are four races within two hours of each other, so I never even expected to come close,” said Houseman about the race for Regional Champ.

Yet, Houseman did come close with 331 points to McAllister’s 367.

“I really like the experience of going out and racing against the same people,” said Houseman. “I know that Kristen Wade is going to be an amazing competitor and she’s going to cheer me on just as much. And Mimi Stockton is burning hard on the run, but then her hand comes up and it’s just high fives. I love the triathlon community in general, but XTERRA just takes it up a notch.”

In the men’s 20-24 division, Reiner Guenther edged out Jacob Turbyfill, 225 to 209. The two have known each other a long time. In fact, they worked at the same grocery store when they were in high school. A few years later, they were both racing mountain bikes on the Texas A&M Cycling Team.

“We both graduated from Texas A&M this past December, so balancing a full-time job and training was a whole new challenge for us, but I believe we made the best of it,” said Guenther.

He and Jacob raced together at XTERRA ATX, the first race of the South Central season. “I had a pretty decent swim, but Jacob passed me on the bike leg,” explained Guenther. “I knew then and there that this season was going to be a whole lot more competitive than last year, where I did not really have anyone in my age group to compete with.”

He added that competing against Jacob made him train smarter and push harder in races.

“I think this quote by Jesse Owens does a good job of summing up this season,” said Guenther. “‘Friendships born on the fields of athletic strife are the real gold of competition. Awards become corroded, friendships gather no dust.'”

 

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