Taking the inside track
Trio of metro youth will travel to France to participate in Trophee Des 3 Pistes
By Matt “It’s MillerTime” Miller
Mark Muse holds a special place in his heart for Jordan Malone. At one point, the Texas native, Malone, was coached by Muse who will be chasing gold at this year’s Winter Olympic in Vancouver. Hundreds of miles away, just like Malone, the trio of inline speedskaters — Trevor Casey, Donavon Sellers and Zach Stoppelmoor — from the Des Moines Speed Club has the same aspirations one day. Their journey continues as all three compete in the Trophee Des 3 Pistes in France.
“It’s a huge honor to represent Des Moines and the United States,” said Sellers, a junior at Lincoln High School. “To have the opportunity to perform in front of thousands of people is spectacular. The United States is big into football, baseball and basketball. But inline speed skating is huge in France. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The 24th annual Trophee Des 3 Pistes in France run from March 31 to April 7. Drawing skaters from 19 different countries, the event is the world’s largest international banked track competition. Ranging in length from five to 20 kilometers, the races take place on the Pibrac, Valence d’Agen and Gujan Mestras.
“This is the closest thing to the World Championships as the kids can see,” said Muse, who has been coaching for more than 28 years and will be making his fourth career trip to France. “It’ll be a great experience for them because they don’t get this in the United States.”
While each skater already has a long list of inline speed skating accomplishments, they believe the trip will educate them to the variety of new skills and techniques.
“The whole experience will be eye-opening,” Casey said. “There are some special records on those tracks, so that’s pretty cool.”
Stoppelmoor may have a leg up on experience from his teammates. A fifth grade student at Western Hills Elementary in West Des Moines, Stoppelmoor competed in the races in 2009 and even received a sponsorship of equipment and uniform.
“The competition was a lot rougher than I expected,” he said. “I just want to win and get more experience this year.”
Stoppelmoor’s mother, Dawn, agreed that international competition is slightly different.
“As a parent, you go through a whole gambit of emotions,” Dawn said. “Your adrenaline is pumping so much you want to help the kid up when he gets knocked over, but you can’t. You really get into it.”
The trio has been practicing for the upcoming races, putting in six to eight hours a week at Skate South and Skate West. Each says they are all too familiar with stationary bikes and plyometrics. The squad has had to overcome not being unable to practice outside because of the winter weather.
“Since we’re limited to outdoor practices, the guys will rely on my knowledge and then act on it,” Muse said. “I believe the hard work will pay off.”
The trio’s schedules won’t slow down once they return to the United States. They plan on competing in Regionals in Wichita, Kan., in May indoor nationals in July and outdoor nationals in August. Muse says the outdoor nationals are a stepping stone to the World Championships.
“The kids aren’t going to be timid and allow others to take the race to them,” Muse said. “The kids are physically and mentally prepared to do well.”
Locker Room note: The 2010 National Pheasant Fest will take place from Feb. 26 to 28 at Hy-Vee Hall and Vets Auditorium. The event will include information about wildlife habitat and outdoor gear. For more information, visit www.pheasantfest.org. CV
Caption: The trio of Trevor Casey, Donavon Sellers and Zach Stoppelmoor, along with coach Mark Muse, will represent the United States in the Trophee Des 3 Pistes in France.
