Latest News
September 16, 2002 - With the championship season only weeks away, the First Endurance Team is poised to make a big splash at Xterra Off-Road Triathlon Nationals, Xterra Worlds and The Hawaii Ironman World Championships.
Made up of a group of strong age groupers with little national racing experience, the Salt Lake City-based team has been on a tear all year long. Five of the six members on the off-road triathlon team are heading to Nationals, while four of those five have already qualified for the World Championships.
Leading the team into Xterra Nationals are 2002 Mountain Region Champions Serena Warner, Anthony Johnson and Robert Kunz. As regional champions, all three have legitimate shots at a National Champion title. Off-road triathlon newcomer Tom Knopp and veteran Mark Warner will round out the team at nationals.
At 37 years young and with 21 years of Triathlon experience, Tom Knopp is having one of the best seasons of his life. During Ironman Utah, Tom posted the 5th fastest bike of the day and qualified for the Hawaii Ironman. On July 28th racing in the Nissan Xterra Central Championships, Knopp took second in his age group qualifying him for Xterra Worlds. Knopp then went on to win the Coeur D’Alene Olympic Distance Triathlon (a warm up to USAT Nationals). “I am really pleased with the results I’ve been able to put together this year. I feel like I’m getting faster as the season progresses,” Knopp explains, adding that he is confident Optygen has played a strong role in his success this season. Knopp is adding to his already full race schedule by also racing in the Hawaii Ironman, and is one of only a handful to qualify for both the Hawaii Ironman and Xterra Worlds.
Joining Knopp are Dave Ference and Lance Muzslay, who are also poised to open some eyes as they head to Hawaii on October 19th. At the New Zealand Ironman, Muzslay took honors as the fastest American and 8th overall. Ference was the second fastest amateur at Ironman Utah and took 2nd overall at the Vineman Ironman to Pro Kotland. Ference is new to the Ironman competition with only four full races under his belt, yet he has the talent and drive to place very high at Hawaii. “I had an Ironman distance PR and felt fabulous,” said Ference, noting that the next day Kotland could not walk at the awards ceremony, yet Ference felt better than he ever has following an Ironman. “I have not deviated from the Optygen regimen during the entire summer and I can honestly say that it has been beneficial to my training, racing and recovery. Three days after Vineman I was in full training mode for Hawaii,” said Ference.
About First Endurance:
First Endurance, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, was founded by a cyclist and a triathlete, both racing fanatics. Focusing solely on the development of high-performance endurance formulas, the company is based in innovation and a commitment to quality and research. First Endurance proudly sponsors the First Endurance/Contender Cycling Team and the First Endurance Triathlete Team, as well as the UCI race series in Salt Lake City, Utah.