Naperville athletes take home gold at the OCR World Championships

Last week, the United States OCR National Team brought both elite training and the luck of the Irish to the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. Local Chicagoland athletes including Jeremy Lauff (16) and Claire Mattern (11) of Naperville, Anthony Battaglia (17) of Warrenville, Henry Mihajlovic (11) of Libertyville, and Savannah Serio (12) of Riverside, returned home from a week in Limerick, Ireland competing alongside athletes from Japan, Malta, Mexico, Brazil, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and many more.

Competition for all ages

The USAOCR National Team, which includes athletes as young as age 9 through ages 60+, displayed their pride at the Opening Ceremony and throughout the events. When the competition wrapped up, Team USA captured a total of 118 medals (44 Gold Medals, 43 Silver Medals, and 31 Bronze Medals).

Local athletes earn spots on the medal stand

Neuqua Valley student Jeremy Lauff competed in the male junior 100-meter individual, the 400-meter individual, and the 400-meter Mixed Relay. He finished first to earn the gold medal in the 100m event with a time of 25.722 and took 5th place in the 400m with a time of 2:17.121. For the 16+ Mixed Relay, Lauff served as Team Captain alongside Cameron Godbout, Savanna Salinas, and Baylee Beckstrand. The team secured the gold medal with a time of 1:44.705.

Anthony Battaglia competed in the 100m individual and 400m male junior individual events as well. He earned the silver medal in the 400m event with a time of 1:58.862 and the bronze medal in the 100m with a time of 27.844.

Naperville native Claire Mattern competed in the female youth 100m individual and relay, the 400m individual and relay, and the XC Relay. For her individual events, Mattern earned the gold medal in the 400m with a best time of 2:12, and she earned 13th place for the 100m with a time of 43.60. Mattern’s XC Team earned the gold medal alongside Savannah Serio, with a time of 44:55. Her 400m Mixed Relay team finished in 5th place, and her 100m Mixed Relay team finished in 8th place.

Savannah Serio competed in the 100m individual and relay, the 400m individual and relay, and the XC Relay. Serio’s XC Team earned the gold medal (with Claire Mattern) with a time of 44:55. Her 400m Mixed Relay team finished in 6th place, and her 100m Mixed Relay team finished in 8th place. In her individual events, Serio earned 7th place in the female youth 100m at 41.07 and in the 400m at 2:35.

Henry Mihajlovic competed in the male youth 100m individual and relay as well as the 400m individual and relay. He earned 9th place for his 400m individual event, and his U16 400m Mixed Relay took 11th Place overall. His 100m Mixed Relay team earned 12th Place, and he placed in the top 50 for the individual 100m.

An unforgettable experience across the pond

The athletes and their families made many new friends from across the globe, checked out the local sights, and enjoyed authentic Irish foods. Two days of practices at the Limerick racecourse preceded the four-day world championship competition.