Courtesy: USAT

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USA Triathlon has announced the names of the members of its 2002 Resident Team at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Resident athletes live and train at the Olympic Training Center from January until December. They work with resident team coach Michelle Blessing and national teams programs director Libby Burrell. They are required to compete in two ITU points races or World Cups and must be dedicated to racing at the Olympic distance.

"As National Team Program Director for USA Triathlon, I am really excited about the 2002 resident program and the fine collection of talented athletes who have been selected to be part of this year's resident team," Burrell said.

"We worked very hard in 2001 to streamline our program and we feel we now have an excellent product. The 2002 Resident Team has all the makings of a medal-winning group, which is our No. 1 focus as we move toward Athens in 2004. We look forward to one of our best years ever."

Being on the resident team does not necessarily mean an athlete will be on the USA Triathlon national or Olympic teams. Resident team athletes have been identified as having a talent for Olympic distance triathlon and get the chance to work with top coaches at a top facility to nurture that talent.

"I am excited to get this group of athletes together to train," Blessing said. "The depth of talent is tremendous and the blend of new and returning athletes is ideal.

"The goal of the resident program is simply to win medals at ITU events -- and with this group it will happen this year."

The 2002 team consists of:

Bryan Beckman (age: 19; hometown: Eldorado Hills, Calif.): Beckman placed 13th overall at the 2001 national age group championships and first in the men's 15-19 age group. He represented the United States in the junior elite race at the 2001 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Championships.

Courtney Bennigson (22; Boston, Mass.): Bennigson placed fourth at the ITU points race in Guaratuba, Brazil, in 2001. She finished ninth overall at the age group world championships and was fourth in the women's 20-24 age group. She was the junior national champion and junior triathlete of the year in 1999. Bennigson attended Williams College where she was captain of the cross-country team and named an NCAA Division III all-American.

Kevin Doherty (28; Huntsville, Ala.): Doherty was a 2001 resident triathlete. He finished 25th at the elite national championships in 2001 and placed 21st at the ITU points race in Boston.

Samantha Dompier (23; Houston, Texas): Dompier placed ninth at the Boulder Peak Triathlon in 2001. She attended the University of Texas on a cross-country and track scholarship from 1997-2001. Dompier was a member of the 1996 USA Triathlon junior national team and the 2001 collegiate team.

Brian Fleischmann (23; Jacksonville, Fla.): Fleischmann placed second at the 2001 elite national championships and 19th overall at the ITU elite world championships. He was third at the ITU points race in Boston. He graduated from Florida State University in 2001. He competed on the swim team as a freshman, and then ran cross-country and track the next three years.

Mark Fretta (24; Portland, Ore.): Fretta was a member of the 2001 resident team. Finished as the top American at four ITU points races in 2001. He is ranked 113th in the world and 10th in the United States. Attended Holy Cross where he held school records in four swimming events.

Dominic Gillen (24; New Preston, Conn.): Gillen has achieved much success in the New England region, where he was the international distance champion. Attended University of Connecticut where he was a varsity swimmer from 1995-2000. He is also an accomplished cyclist.

Kelly Handel (24; Zionsville, Ind.): Handel won the women's 20- 24 age group at the Memphis in May Triathlon in 2001 and took third in that division at the 2001 age group nationals in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Handel swam for four years at the University of Illinois and was team captain her junior and senior years. She graduated from Illinois magna cum laude with a degree in kinesiology.

Jenny Marine (26; Naperville, Ill.): Marine placed second overall and first in the 25-29 age group at 2001 age group nationals. She was also second overall at the 2001 Mrs. T's Triathlon and second overall at Memphis in May. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois with degrees in education and mathematics.

Brent Perdrizet (25; New Fairfield, Conn.): A 2001 resident team member, Perdrizet qualified to compete at the 2001 world championships by finishing seventh at the elite qualifier in Shreveport, La. Placed 18th at the ITU World Cup in Cancun, Mexico. Ranked 158th in the world and 13th in the United States. Ran one season of cross-country at Northern Arizona University.

Ian Ray (25, St. Petersburg, Fla.): Another returning resident team member, Ray competed in several ITU points races in 2001. He finished 11th among the elites at the Cheyenne Mountain Sprint Triathlon in Colorado Springs.

Susie Stark (25; Hudson, Ohio): A member of the U.S. Marine Corps, Stark rose to prominence in 2001 when she finished as the first amateur overall at the St. Anthony's Triathlon. She also placed fifth at the 2001 Military World Championships. As an elite, she was sixth at the ITU points race in Guaratuba, Brazil, and 11th at the Mrs. T's Triathlon in Chicago. Stark graduated from the University of South Carolina where she competed on the swim team.

Joe Umphenour (32; Bellevue, Wash.): Umphenour had the most successful season of his elite career as a 2001 resident athlete. He was the first U.S. male finisher, 11th overall, at the 2001 elite world championships. He was the first American, and third overall, at the elite world qualifier in Shreveport, La., and also placed third overall at the ITU points race in Guaratuba, Brazil. Umphenour graduated from the University of Wisconsin where he earned dual degrees in political science and international relations and was a four-year letter- winner on the swim team.

Gia White (23; Peoria, Ill.): White placed 11th as an elite at the 2001 Memphis in May Triathlon. Placed 10th in her age group (women's 20-24) and 29th overall at the ITU world championships. Placed sixth in her age group and 33rd overall at the U.S. age group national champions