Gorman, Hemming Earn 2012 USA Triathlon Junior Awards

Published January 30, 2013 02:40PM

Top-ranked junior elites Tamara Gorman and Eli Hemming have been selected as USA Triathlon’s Junior Triathletes of the Year following a successful 2012 season.

See the complete announcement from USA Triathlon below:

Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.) finished the year ranked No. 1 in the country in the Junior Elite category and was second in the USA Triathlon Junior Elite Series Rankings. She made history in October when she finished third at the ITU Junior World Championships, earning the first-ever medal for a U.S. junior female on the world stage. Prior to earning a bronze medal at worlds, Gorman logged second-place finishes at the USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championships and the Pan American Junior Championships.

Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.) also was ranked first in the U.S. Junior Elite National Rankings and second in the Junior Elite Series Rankings. He won the USA Triathlon Monroe Junior Elite Cup and was the top U.S. junior at the Pan American Junior Championships and North American Junior Championships. Additionally, Hemming was the top U.S. junior male finisher at the ITU Junior World Championships.

“Tamara’s podium finish at ITU Junior Worlds was remarkable for a 16-year-old, but not unpredictable given how well she raced at the Junior Pan American Championships. We are excited to see her progress over the next three years as a junior,” said USA Triathlon Athlete Development Coordinator Steve Kelley, who says Gorman and Hemming had breakout seasons.

“It may have been easy for the casual observer to overlook Eli’s breakthrough this season, even after his win at the Junior Elite Cup in Monroe,” added Kelley. “But his two fourth-place finishes at North American and Pan American Championships, combined with being the top U.S. junior at worlds, prove that his years of racing as a youth elite are paying dividends. Like Tamara, Eli is still a young junior and we expect his growing depth of experience will serve him well in the future.”

Gorman and Hemming also headline USA Triathlon’s list of Junior Elite and Youth Elite All-Americans. This honor goes to the top up-and-coming triathletes in the United States and is based on their final national ranking and performances in top junior and youth draft-legal events.

2012 USA Triathlon Junior Triathletes of the Year
Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.)
Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.)

2012 USA Triathlon Male Junior Elite All-Americans (ages 16-19)
Spencer Clark (Clive, Iowa)
Luke Farkas (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Eli Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.)
Hunter Honeycutt (Tifton, Ga.)
(HM) Tyler Gleason (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
(HM) William Huffman (Colleyville, Texas)
(HM) Philip Meyer (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
(HM) Tony Morales (Lexington, S.C.)
(HM) Tony Smoragiewicz (Rapid City, S.D.)

2012 USA Triathlon Female Junior Elite All-Americans (ages 16-19)
Breanna Hemming (Kiowa, Colo.)
Tamara Gorman (Rapid City, S.D.)
Haele Jasen (Belgium, Wis.)
(HM) Devon Dabney (Atlanta, Ga.)
(HM) Johanna Gartman (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
(HM) Hannah Rae Finchamp (Altadena, Calif.)

2012 USA Triathlon Male Youth Elite All-Americans (ages 13-15)
Stone Dyson (Richmond, Va.)
Austin Hindman (Wildwood, Mo.)
Darr Smith (Atlanta, Ga.)
Matthew Stanley (Acworth, Ga.)
(HM) Patrick Bieszke (Orland Park, Ill.)
(HM) Alex Hernandez (Gulf Breeze, Fla.)
(HM) Clay Marshall (Alpharetta, Ga.)
(HM) Seth Rider (Germantown, Tenn.)

2012 USA Triathlon Female Youth Elite All-Americans (ages 13-15)
Jennifer Jenks (Aurora, Iowa)
Stephanie Jenks (Aurora, Iowa)
Victoria Clinton (Elburn, Ill.)
(HM) Malia Ellington (Cornelius, N.C.)
(HM) Ciara Hopkins (Clermont, Fla.)
(HM) Gina Johnson (Park Ridge, Ill.)
(HM) Katie Patrick (Sioux Falls, S.D.)