2003 High Rollers Invitational Meet in Las Vegas, NV,
hosted By Crystal Palace Skating Center, February 6-10, 2003

February 6-10, 2003: Jessica Smith dominates senior women's division in Las Vegas on four-wheel frames. Jessica Smith wore a 4 wheel Vento 11.25 frame with 84mm wheels and dominated the women's race and won overall.

Two hundred and fifty two skaters, 36 different clubs from 19 states, and also 16 foreign skaters including Colombia and Chinese Taipei headed to the bright lights in the desert for one of the years biggest Invitationals. With 7 Senior World Champions and 10 Junior World Champions competing, this proves to not only to be one of the premier events in the US, but also a premier World event. We had the best of the best going at it for prize money and of course those solid Crystal Cups.

Day 1

Junior Men 2000m Final - The opening race for the Verducci Team. Both Joey Mantia and Terrance Allmond maintained a strong presence at the front for most of the race until a sudden burst of speed sent Mantia off the front with 3 to go. Todd Foley passed Allmond with 3 corners to go. A desperate Allmond attempted a pass with 1 to go but couldn't hold the corner.

Final Results
Joey Mantia (Verducci National USA)
Todd Foley (Roller City Racing)
Terrance Allmond (Verducci)

Senior Men 3000m Final - Jason Sepulveda missed out on the final because of a stacked heat. Steven Krawulski suited up for Verducci in the 30 lap final. Krawulski looking strong throughout, but the race was dominated by 3 out in front (Jordan Malone, Jeremy Anderson, and Ryan Cox). Malone finished on top, avenging his broken ankle, which was sustained at this event last year.

Final Results
Jordan Malone (Mogema/Labeda)
Jeremy Anderson (Team Extreme)
Ryan Cox (Hyper)

Senior Women 2000m Final - Theresa Cliff and Jessica Smith (Verducci's "Super Stars"), along with Jilleanne Rookard and Heidi Miller make up the International and National teams. Cliff sustained a leg injury in practice days before the race was happy to sit in the pack. Teammate Smith, racing on the 84mm 4-wheel Vento frame, gave a reason why 4-wheels could be faster on the indoor by accelerating away only to have a slip with 3 to go. She recovered from 4th to finish 2nd.

Final Results
Kimi Butler (Hyper)
Jessica Smith (Verducci)
Erin Dijulio (Mogema/Labeda)

Senior Men 5000m Open Final - Verducci was well represented with Krawulski, Allmond, and Sepulveda. Sepulveda crashed over a kicked pylon early in the race leaving it up to the rest for the run home. Krawulski was looking in contention with 10 laps to go. The field was strung out by the attack of Malone. Anderson, Foley, and Cox all close behind, but Malone was too strong.

Final Results
Jordan Malone (Mogema/Labeda)
Jeremy Anderson (Team Extreme)
Todd Foley (Roller City Racing)

Senior Women 5000m Open Final - Smith, Miller, and Rookard took the floor for the Verducci Team. Smith sat close to the front for most of the race. Jacqueline Blair, Ashley Horgan, and the Colombian, Cecelia Baena were pushing the pace. But no one could match the turn of speed by Smith gaining a corner on the field in 1 lap to win convincingly.

Final Results
Jessica Smith (Verducci)
Ashley Horgan (Rollerblade)
Mandi Howard (Mogema/Labeda)

Day 2

Junior Men 500m Final - The Verducci boys, Allmond and Mantia, looked unstoppable through the heats and felt very confident for the final. Junior World 500m Champion Allmond said he hoped to "get off the line well", which he did, but fell on the second corner in a tangled pass. Leaving his team-mate/Junior World Champion Mantia to put his head down and lay some power down, stinging the field out in the final laps, winning easily.

Final Results
Joey Mantia (Verducci)
Todd Foley (Roller City Racing)
Jeremy Murphy (L.A. Speed)

Senior Men 500m Final - After some intense heats, Krawulski lined up in the 500m final for Verducci. Also in the final was Anderson, Cox, Rocky Dufrene, Steven Carter, and Michael Cheek. Carter looking fast on a 4-wheel 84mm frame slipped on the first corner dropped to many positions to recover. Cheek desperately trying to move up was DQ'd. Anderson and Dufrene launched off the front with Krawulski in tow. The pace was so high that it made passing impossible with Anderson holding off for the win.

Final Results
Jeremy Anderson (Team Extreme)
Rocky Dufrene (Bont)
Steve Krawulski (Verducci)

Senior Women 500m Final - Again the 4-wheel frame made another appearance with 2 skaters (Smith and Dijulio) in the final on them. Cliff sat out the day due to her injury. Smith wasted no time in getting off the line fast and out of trouble. Esty Frakes taking the lead and pushing the pace in the early stages. A determined Kimi Butler making a few too many bad passes was DQ'd. At 2 laps to go Smith went for the kill leaving Frakes and Horgan with no answer.

Final Results
Jessica Smith (Verducci)
Esty Frakes (Roller City Racing)
Ashley Horgan (Rollerblade)

2003 Las Vegas Grand Champions Race - This year's winner takes home a beautifully designed solid Crystal Cup that will be personally engraved. The competition will be fierce with 3 top skaters from the top 3 divisions competing for the Cup and bragging rights for the year.
Men - Verducci made up 2 of the possible 9 spots with Mantia and Allmond. Also in the race were Anderson, Malone, Dufrene, Foley, Randy Moncus, Scott Tandoi, and Bobby Letterio. A steady first 20 laps of passing and repassing for positioning gave way for a flat out final 10 laps when Malone hit the front. Malone again too strong opened up a gap from Anderson and Mantia. Malone, broke his ankle in the warm-up of this race last year, was over-whelmed to be this years Grand Champion.
Women - For the women the field consisted of Mallory Pracale, Kelly Gunther, Jacqueline Blair, Kimberly Derrick, Mandi Howard, Cecelia Baena, Smith, Butler, and Frakes. Defending Champ, Smith determined to retain her Grand Champion Title. She skated from the front swapping leads with Baena and Blair. Ultimately tactics proving useless against the speed of Smith who left her competitors behind with 6 laps to go proving that Smith was by far the most dominate girl on the indoor at this years Invitational.

Day 3 Relay Day
For results see end of story.

Day 4 Outdoor
The start of the road events was at a chilly 8:30am on a challenging 500m course with a tight hairpin turn to the finish. It took place at a Sports Cafe parking lot in view of the Strip.

Pro Men 21K - Skaters for Verducci in this long race were 4 strong with Krawulski, Sepulveda, Allmond, and Mantia. The pace was high from the start with break-aways going every few laps. The Verducci team skated strong and was on every break-away attempt including the winning one consisting of Hyper's Colombian skater Diego Rosero, Malone, and Allmond. With 1 Senior World Champion and 2 Junior World Champions the peleton never looked like catching. The 3 eventually lapped the field finishing all together making it a nightmare for the officials with Malone emerging as the winner.

Final Results
Jordan Malone (Rollerblade)
Diego Rosero (Hyper)
Terrance Allmond (Verducci)

Pro Women 21K - 25 Time World Champion Cliff threw the cat amongst the pigeons by suiting up for the road events. Verducci totally dominated the race from the start with a strong break-away from Rookard, but eventually coming back. This was followed by attacks and counter-attacks by Cliff and Horgan resulting in the 2 skaters 300m off the front of the peleton. At this point Verducci team-mates Smith, Rookard, and Miller controlled the pace making the Hyper team bridge the gap only to have Rookard break-away again to stay clear. Smith and Cliff quickly crossing to the break with Gunther in tow. The 4 Michigan girls stayed clear and eventually lapped the field. But it was Cliff that proved too strong, accelerating away for the win. Rookard and Smith completing the 1,2,3 for Verducci.

Final Results
Theresa Cliff (Verducci)
Jilleanne Rookard (Verducci)
Jessica Smith (Verducci)

Pro Men 1000m - This was skated with 2 World Champions and 4 Junior World Champions resembling a 1000m final at the Worlds. Verducci's Sepulveda took on work horse duties leading team mates Mantia, Allmond, and Krawulski to the front with 400m to go. A slight hesitation by Mantia let Rosero get the jump with Malone and Jorge Botero closely behind. Botero passed into first just before the hairpin and held on for the win.

Final Results
Jorge Botero (Rollerblade)
Jordan Malone (Rollerblade)
Diego Rosero (Hyper)

Pro Women 1000m - A tactically perfect race run by the Verducci girls. The opening lap was steady with skaters jockeying for positions seeming to be waiting for a green V-suit to make a move. Smith moving behind Cliff for what looked to be a textbook lead out, but on a surprise attack Smith shot clear of the peleton with only Horgan following. Cliff finishing fast moved into 2nd on the last corner. The V-girls just held off a fast finishing Butler for another 1,2 for Verducci.

Final Results
Jessica Smith (Verducci)
Theresa Cliff (Verducci)
Kimi Butler (Hyper)

Pro Men 5000m - Like the 21K the 5K had seemingly endless break-away attempts with the V-team taking turns chasing. Rosero, a stand out skater, in the last event was either chasing or launching an attack himself. The peleton came together in the later stages to make sprint finish. Botero leading out team mate Malone and the V-team Krawulski and Allmond leading out Mantia. Malone coming out on top making him the overall indoor and outdoor champion. Mantia and Botero left to race to the line, Mantia giving Botero a lesson in hawking with the hawk of the meet.

Final Results
Jordan Malone (Rollerblade)
Joey Mantia (Verducci)
Jorge Botero (Rollerblade)

Pro Women's 5000m - The Verducci girls looking to make a clean sweep of the road events attacked early with Cliff finding her competitors napping. When they finally reeled Cliff in Smith attacked squashing any chances of a rest. When caught Cliff and Rookard simultaneously attacked with Dijulio following through. With an already tired field this was the nail in the coffin and they skated clear. Cliff proving she is very serious about her bid to become the World Sprint Champion by accelerating away effortlessly in the final sprint. Rookard made another Verducci 1,2. Smith easily taking the honors in the bunch sprint for 4th.

Final Results
Theresa Cliff (Verducci)
Jilleanne Rookard (Verducci)
Erin Dijulio (Mogema/Labeda)

A special Thank you to the organizers, officials, and sponsors for a fantastic professional event. Also to the commentary of Bob Justice, the driving skills of Jason Sepulveda, the car music of Forth Lacey, and Josh Wood for the ride in the black SS Camaro.