June 2, 2008
FRONT RANGE PADDLER, HINTON MAKES JR WORLD CANOE/KAYAK TEAM
GOLDEN, Colo. – Alexander Dawson School and Front Range Paddle Association (Lafayette, Colo.) freshman canoeist Tyler Hinton (Lafayette) finished second in the United States Junior National Whitewater Slalom Canoe and Kayak Team Trials here Sunday, and in the process earned his ticket to the International Canoe Federation (ICF) Junior World Championships, July 26-27 in Roudnice, Czech Republic.
The world championships are the young 15-year-old’s first and significant for the march to the 2011 Junior Worlds in Wausau, Wisconsin in Hinton’s Sr. Year. “Winning a Junior World Championships in the USA would be a life long dream”. Hinton has only been a C1 (single canoe) for one year now and in the sport for only 3 years vs. others in the sport at this level for 5 or more years. This inexperience certainly will change soon as he physically and mentally matures.
In reference to winning the Jr. position, “It’s a huge reward after working all year for it,” said Hinton. “And the school support has made it easier than I would have thought ". Hinton has missed more than 45 days of school this year in order to travel and attend training camps in Kenya, Africa; Wales, UK and the US Olympic Trials in Charlotte. In January, Hinton went to Kenya to help train other canoeists and donated his personal canoe and all gear to the local village in Saguna, Kenya, which shows he is not only a world class competitor, but a world class human helping others realize their potential and goals. Hinton also placed third in the African Continental Championships during his visit to Kenya.
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Hinton finished second to Durango’s Zach Lokken (Lokken is only a cadet and will not be eligible for World’s until next year) who held a slim 3.34 second edge on Hinton and the competition after Saturday’s first and second runs, an 10.54 seconds Sunday. Lokken had 8 penalty seconds to Hinton’s 18 over the course of the trials. It is one of the first times in Jr. National Competition that canoes placed final times that were faster than a kayak. Typically a canoe is 8 percent slower due to only having one blade versus the kayaks 2 bladed paddles and only having access to power on one side. These two very young canoes show similarities to the early 80's and 90's world championship and Olympic duo of John Lugbill and David Hearn. Being only 14 and 15 years old, only time and more of these experiences will tell if they can truly be that level of International standout and trend setter that those they look up to have earned.
In April, the two were the top two American juniors at the Olympic Trials in Charlotte, N.C. with Lokken finishing 13th and Hinton, 17th. Two weeks ago on the same course, Hinton edged Lokken at the Junior Olympic team trials, with the two finishing in a 1-2 punch. Last fall in the US National Championships, Hinton won the under 18 class over Lokken to show how much back and fourth their development has gone this past year of Tyler's experience. “It’s been that way for a while with us. But this weekend he had the greatest races I’ve ever seen from any canoeist. “ It’ll be great fun going to Europe, training and racing with him at Worlds” claimed Hinton.
"A huge compliment is owed to Zach Lokken, The Lokken family and Coach Rafel Smolen for the amount of work that goes into getting to this level of performance" said Coach Chris Wiegand, coach for Tyler Hinton. Wiegand also said "it is a great advantage for these two young canoes to continue their growth being only a few hours away from each other in Colorado and both with great exchange conditions for training. With continued collaboration between Zach (" Bug") that the sky is the limit as to the new development of US Canoes in recent years to that of current US Whitewater Team top performer, Ben Fraker ".
FRPA/Dawson junior Sarah Dodge (Lafayette), who won the women’s single kayak (K1) Junior Olympic Trials race here on May 10 and was a pre-race favorite finished fourth in the women’s single kayak (K1) race, trailing Jessica Subido (Rocklin, Calif.) who advances to the world championships, Sarah Kunz (Durango, Colo.) and Emily Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.).
Dodge did not finish her first run on Saturday due to gear complications and was in fifth place after her second run of the day, finishing in 225.28 seconds, 64 of those penalty. She shaved more than 74 and 75 seconds off that time on Sunday, but couldn't make up ground in percentage to advance to worlds. Dodge also attended the Olympic Selections for Africa in Kenya with other FRPA teammates to assist in International kayak development as well racing in the first African Continental where she placed 5th overall in women.
Coaches Wiegand and Nate Lord are certainly excited to this point of Canoe development here in the Front Range of Colorado as now 8 young C1 and 3 C2 (two Man Canoe) teams are present in the Denver/Boulder area ready to start showing their talent off next year.
Other event notable:
7 year old Denver second grader FRPA team member, Henry Hyde placed 27th out of 29 in the men's kayak class. This is an amazing feat showing that with the positive drive and training, anyone can exceed personal goal achievement as Hyde has accomplished. With Four Race runs over two days on difficult whitewater designed for older teen athletes, when asked of his feelings of his performance, Hyde stated " Can I go home and sleep now ?"
Next National event for the Front Range paddlers is the USA Canoe/Kayak Junior Olympics, July 7-13 in Wausau, Wisconsin
2008 U.S. Jr. National Whitewater Slalom Canoe & Kayak Team Trials
May 31-June 1, Clearcreek Whitewater Park (Golden, Colo.)
C1 (Canoe Single) Men (*advance to world championships)
1. *Zach Lokken (Durango, Colo.)
2. *Tyler Hinton (Lafayette, Colo.) ##
3. JP Griffith (Denver, Colo.) ##
K1 (Single Kayak) Men (*advance to world championships)
1. *Michal Smolen (Gastonia, N.C.)
2. *Lukas Palko-Schraa (Durango, Colo.) ##
3. *Stein Beals (Kernville, Calif.) ##
K1 (Single Kayak) Women (*advance to world championships)
1. *Jessica Subido (Rocklin, Calif.) ##
2. Sarah Kunz (Durango, Calif.) ##
3. Emily Jackson (Rock Island, Tenn.) ##
4. Sarah Dodge (Lafayette, Colo.) ##
C2 (Double Canoe) Men
1. JP Griffith/Griff Griffiths (Denver, Colo.) ##
2. Graham Bell/ Danny Warner (State College, PA)
C1 (Single Canoe) Women
1. Jessica Subido (Rocklin, Calif) ##
2. Hailey Thompson (Steven Point, Wis.) ##
3. Laura Adams (Durango, Colo.)
* Denotes qualification to compete in the Jr World Championships in July
## Denotes members of FRPA High Performance Training/Travel Team
Other Front Range FinishersK1
11th Tad Morin (Ft. Collins, Co)
13th Griff Griffith (Denver, Co)
14th Luke Farny (Steamboat, Co)
16th Henry Heyman (Boulder, Co. Age 12)
24th Andrew Farny (Steamboat Springs, Co Age 11)
25th Jack Heyman (Boulder, Co. Age 10)
C1
5th Charlie Kieft (Longmont)
K1W
9th Cassidy Sainsbury (Boulder)
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