Spokane speedskaters race well at nationals
Pattison’s Inline Racing competed in the 2015 Elite National Indoor Speed Skating Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this summer – bringing home several individual national champion titles.
The Spokane team was one of 78 from around the country competing. Washington state teams skated well: Pattison’s Inline Racing placed seventh while Federal Way’s Pattison Team Extreme won the competition and Auburn’s Speed Team placed sixth.
“Washington is a hot spot for speedskating,” said coach Shaun Pattison. Pattison’s younger brother, Darin, coaches Pattison Team Extreme at Pattison’s West in Federal Way.“Pattison’s West is the most dominant team in the country – his team has won nationals for the fourth time in five years,” Shaun Pattison said.
Before moving to Spokane, Pattison coached at Pattison’s West. Among his former skaters: Olympic medalists Apolo Anton Ohno and JR Celski.
Pattison describes his Spokane team as a second family – and it’s made up of actual families, as well.
Spouses Pamela “PJ” and Tom Muxlow both won 2015 national champion titles in their age divisions. It was Tom Muxlow’s second win in a row in the Veteran Men’s division. PJ Muxlow defended her Grand Masters Ladies’ title for the ninth time. PJ Muxlow and her sister Nancy Kimball won the two-person Masters Relay division.
Skating at high speeds, around an oval track in tight intervals, isn’t daunting to PJ Muxlow. “You can’t go into it timid about how fast you’re going. My strategy is just to get to the front and go,” she said.
She first skated as a teen, and returned to the sport about 12 years ago.
“It’s fun and will keep you in shape for sure,” she said. “It’s great if you want to do it with family. Many age groups can go to the same practice.”
The Muxlows have two sons who skate for PIR and compete at the regional level: Nicholas, 15, and Dylan, 10.
“The kids think it’s pretty cool. When I first won, Nicholas wore my jersey that said ‘national champion’ all summer long. Dylan realized what I was doing, too and started wearing them. Now, I usually just get sizes that will fit them,” PJ Muxlow said.
Pattison described her as a standout, leading by a quarter lap at Nationals. “PJ was well ahead of second place. She’s far ahead the best one out there in her age group. She never misses a practice all season long. That’s with working full time, being a mother and a wife. That’s impressive. Consistency separates her from others.”
Tom Muxlow takes a different route, Pattison said. “He cannot train the entire year. His body will break down on him. So he really caters his training around the National Championship, hitting it hard about three months prior.”
There are other families skating together with Pattison’s Inline Racing. “The trend is that the kids get started and parents watch. Next thing you know, the parents become a part, too,” Pattison said.
That was the case with the Howell family – the kids started, then the dad joined, too. Brothers Joe, Jordan, and their dad Bryan all competed at Nationals. Bryan Howell made it to the Grand Master finals. It was Jordan’s first experience at Nationals. He was in the men’s ages 14-16 division. Joe competed in the men’s ages 16-18 division, “the toughest division this year,” Pattison said. “He had the speed, but took a couple of hard falls. He definitely has the talent and skill to compete at the highest level.”
Several team members are former or current national record holders. Team members range in age from 5 to 55 and skate about six hours a week. Practices resume in October, and Pattison is already looking forward to next summer, when he anticipates even better results.