2002

MATT THOMPSON FINISHED FIFTH IN THE 2003 XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN THE 20- TO 40- YEAR- OLD MALE CATEGORY.  The Xterra championship is a triathlon, including a 1K river swim, 27K mountain bike and 10K run. The 2003 championships were held in Hawaii on Oct. 26. Thompson finished 61st out of 343 overall competitors. He earned his chance to compete in the Xterra World Championships by finishing first in the 20-24 age group of the Xterra Games' East Championship in Richmond June 23. His winning time was 2 hours, 33 minutes, 49 seconds. He placed second in Richmond in 2002 and fifth in 2001. Thompson began triathlon training while at JMU. "It's hard to miss a hill while cycling in the 'Burg," he says. While at JMU, Thompson joined a triathlon club and competed in several mountain bike races, including the 12 Hours of Lodi Farm in Stafford County. Thompson is an information technology specialist at Fort Belvoir.