St. Anthony’s Triathlon Announces 2018 Pro Athlete Start List

One of the longest running triathlons will also serve as USAT National Championship qualifier 

(ST. PETERSBURG, FL—March 29, 2018) – St. Anthony’s Triathlon has announced the initial list of Pro athletes that will toe the line at this year’s race, to be held on April 29th, 2018. The 35th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon will host approximately 3,000 athlete participants over the course of the weekend, and has also been selected by the USA Triathlon (USAT) as a 2018 Regional Championship Race and as a USAT Southeastern Club Regional Championship.

The list of female professional triathletes includes: Kaitlin Donner, Lauren Goss, Ericka Hachmeister, Sarah Haskins, Brittany Higgins, Alicia Kaye, Sara McLarty, Maddy Pesch, Terry Casey and Kearci Smith. Returning pro competitor, Lauren Goss, is the defending champion from 2017, and will battle Alicia Kaye, who won the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in 2015, and was runner-up in the race in 2016. 

Haskins will be going for her seventh win at St. Anthony’s. If Haskins wins in 2018, she would tie Pro Michellie Jones as the only female pros to win St. Anthony's seven times. Haskins won the triathlon in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016. Jones took the title in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2004.

On the men’s field, professional triathletes include: Nicholas Chase, Jarrod Shoemaker, Jeremy Stagg, Rudy Von Berg, Matthew Alford, Jackson Laundry, Jason West, and Cameron Dye. Dye is the only male pro to win four St. Anthony’s Triathlons and he’s eyeing a fifth victory after winning the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in 2010, 2015, 2016, and 2017. 

Professionals will compete for a $56,000 prize purse. Since the event is a USAT Regional Championship event, registered USAT athletes will be able to qualify at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon for the 2018 USAT National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, to be held August 11-12, 2018. In order to qualify for the National Championships, competitors must finish in the top 33 percent or top five (whichever is greater) competitors per their respective age groups. 

“We have a tremendous group of Pro triathletes competing in this year’s event,” said Susan Daniels, race director for St. Anthony’s Triathlon. “We are honored to have such a high level of athletes come to St. Petersburg for strong competition on a fast course.”

The St. Anthony’s Triathlon is open to all levels of athletes, from amateur to professional.  Pro triathlete, Lauren Goss, and 2017 St. Anthony’s Triathlon winner offers a tip for anyone racing this year’s triathlon, advising, “Triathlon is not about big epic workouts. It is about doing the work every day consistently and being intentional. Racing is for race day.”

The St. Anthony’s Sports and Fitness Expo will take place from April 27-29, with the Meek & Mighty Triathlon for kids and novice adults occurring on April 28, followed by the Olympic and Sprint distance triathlon races on April 29. Registration to compete in any of the St. Anthony’s Triathlon events is open and can be found at https://SATriathlon.com.

More information about USAT Regional Championship guidelines and rules can be found at: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/events/regional-championships 

For more information about the 2018 races, athletes, health and fitness expo and surrounding activities, visit the St. Anthony’s Triathlon’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/StAnthonysTriathlon.

About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 393-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and was the first faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. For more information on St. Anthony’s, call (727) 953-6993.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.