The mini-Mussel sprint triathlon is proud to serve as the Official New York State Qualifier for the 2008 Best of the U.S. Amateur Triathlete Competition. The top male and female finishers of the mini-Mussel who reside in New York State will win entrance into the "Best of the U.S." National Championships, to be held in October of 2008.

Best of the U.S. has grown in four years to become the de factor national championship for amateur triathletes in the United States. With exactly 100 competitors on the starting line at the championship series finale, made up of qualifiers from each of the 50 states, the male and female winners stand as the undisputed champions of the amateur ranks. The mini-Mussel is proud to offer our participants the chance to compete for this honor on a fair, challenging course.

Philippe Kozub (left) and Katie Ellis (right) became champions of the Best of U.S. Amateur Triathlete Competition by winning the series finale on Oct. 6 in Winter Haven, Florida. Kozub's time of 1:56:54 bested Scott Myers (Ohio's representative) by 48 seconds, while Ellis's 2:09:23 took the women's title from Kim Webster (Massachusetts) by a mere 8 seconds. Kozube is from Maryland and Ellis hails from Arizona. Take note, aspiring mini-Mussel champions - NY's male qualifier finished 17th (Todd Smith).
 

Please visit the Best of the U.S. website for more details.