Matt Guenter sweeps podium at the 2022 USA Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee
Matt Guenter crossed the finish line of the 2022 USA Triathlon National Championship super sprint race with the sun peeking through the clouds from over Lake Michigan on a wet and cloudy Sunday morning.
He finished the race in a blue baseball hat with the word 'ECOLAB' on it.
Ecolab is where Matt's late father used to work and he wore the hat to remember and honor him.
"We've gone through a tough time this year," Barbara Guenter, Matt's mother said looking at the clouds. "I believe his dad has given him more strength. The sun is shining, right through there, there's a little peek."
On Saturday, Matt became the 2022 Toyota Overall Male Age Group Olympic-distance National Champion with a time of one hour, 51 minutes and 40 seconds. He won the race by three minutes and 46 seconds. Then Sunday, he followed up his performance with another win in the super sprint distance race with a time of 29 minutes and 29 seconds to win by a minute and one second.
All gas, no brakes 🔥
Matthew Guenter swam, biked and ran his way to the finish to win by an incredible 3 minutes and 46 seconds to become the 2022 Toyota Overall Male Age Group Olympic-Distance National Champion 🏅#USATAGNC pic.twitter.com/yDRYFVIQNA— USA Triathlon (@usatriathlon) August 7, 2022
"It feels great. I came out here focused on the Day 1 and I'd approach Day 2 when I got there and in the back of my head I really wanted to double. Not many people have done it," Matt said. "It's hard to come back and race two days in a row and I put together two really good races and they put me on the top of the podium."
Matt is from Pennsylvania and graduated from Penn State in 2019 before moving to Boulder, Colorado. He became the first male to win on back-to-back days since Justin Lippert in 2018 and the second ever male since 2013 when the sprint race was added.
"It's just amazing. He put so much hard work into it," Barbara said. "I think deep down inside he just has such a drive and that's what it is."
A year ago Matt finished in the same place for both races when he finished sixth in each race. When going to bed Saturday night Matt wasn't sure if he'd have the chance to do it again Sunday because of the potential weather.
"I didn't think we were going to race to be completely honest," Matt said.
Originally the race was going to be a sprint distance but because of the expected weather the format changed to a super sprint distance with the distances they used being a 385-meter swim, a 10.7-kilometer bike ride and a 2.5-kilometer run.
The race also used a time trial start in an effort to safely offer a National Championship racing opportunity. That played to Matt's strengths and he also understood why the changes were made.
"It being shorter makes it safer out there," he said. "It's easier to control everything and it's probably better for me too, I like the shorter stuff so I was fine with that."
Matt found out about the change Sunday morning about two hours before he'd jump off the pier south of Discovery World into Lake Michigan and head toward the opening under the Hank Aaron State Trail.
Due to this morning's rain and the likelihood of thunderstorms, the race format is changing to a Super Sprint distance, with a time-trial start. Changing the format is the best option for USA Triathlon to safely offer a National Championship racing opportunity.
— USA Triathlon (@usatriathlon) August 7, 2022
"I took a look at the messages that came through and it said we're doing a super-sprint and I said all right, time to race, get ready to get in that mental headspace again," Matt said. "I felt pretty good about it and then coming off of yesterday (Saturday) I just had a huge confidence boost winning and winning by three and a half minutes."
The change and difference in weather from a hot, sunny and humid race on Saturday to a colder and wet Sunday was a welcome sight for Matt as it made for more comfortable race conditions.
"Today (Sunday) is a much better day to race in," he said. "The reason, it's about 20 degrees cooler, humidity is lower because of the rain. This fits my style of racing and what I like to race in. I don't mind bad conditions or rainy conditions."
Seeing Matt win firsthand on Saturday and Sunday made Barbara emotional and a proud mom.
"I'm overwhelmed and I feel blessed to be his mother," Barbara said.
Weekend results
Saturday women: 2022 Toyota Overall Female Age Group Olympic-Distance National Championship. Top-three finishers: Dani Fischer (two hours, 10 minutes and 30 seconds); Marissa Lovell (two hours, 11 minutes and 15 seconds); Brooke Kelley (two hours, 11 minutes and 47 seconds).
Saturday men: 2022 Toyota Overall Male Age Group Olympic-Distance National Championship: Top-three finishers: Matt Guenter (one hour, 51 minutes and 40 seconds); Todd Buckingham (one hour, 55 minutes and 27 seconds); David Reynolds (one hour, 55 minutes and 34 seconds).
Sunday women: 2022 Toyota Overall Female Age Group Super Sprint-Distance National Championship. Top-three finishers: Shannon Feran (34 minutes and six seconds); Freya McKinley (34 minutes and 12 seconds); Michelle Stratton (34 minutes and 24 seconds).
Sunday men: 2022 Toyota Overall Male Age Group Super Sprint-Distance National Championship. Top-three finishers: Matt Guenter (29 minutes and 29 seconds); Todd Buckingham (30 minutes and 30 seconds); Daniel Moore (30 minutes and 38 seconds).
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Matt Guenter wins 2 USA Triathlon National Championships in Milwaukee
