USA Pentathlon Successfully Hosted 2026 USAPM Charlotte Invitational

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 21, 2026) — USA Pentathlon Multisport opened the 2026 domestic season on Saturday with the USAPM Charlotte Invitational, held in near-perfect conditions in Charlotte, North Carolina. Athletes from across the country competed in swimming, fencing, obstacle, and laser run, producing strong early-season performances as the national ranking race begins to take shape.

Divisions contested included Senior Men, Senior Women, Junior Men, U-19 Men, U-17 Men, and U-15 Women. Full results with discipline scores are available at pentathlonscore.com.

The Senior Men’s competition featured one of the closest battles of the day, with Temirkhan Sabdenbek and Tyler Evans trading the lead across multiple disciplines. Sabdenbek secured the overall victory with 1,645 points after posting the fastest laser run of the field (10:11), while Evans finished just behind with 1,631 points after winning the obstacle discipline and leading the fencing round. Omar Abdelkader completed the podium with 1,556 points, highlighted by the fastest laser run split among the chasing pack.

The Senior Women’s division was equally competitive, with Rebecca Langrehr taking the title with 1,495 points after strong performances in both fencing and the laser run. Phaelen French earned silver with 1,430 points, winning the fencing round and staying within striking distance throughout the day, while Cassandra Steptoe placed third with 1,282 points, moving up the standings with a solid laser run finish.

The Charlotte Invitational also had a direct impact on the updated USAPM Senior National Rankings. Sabdenbek now moves into the top position in the men’s standings with 59 ranking points, just ahead of Evans with 57, while Matthias Preidl, Michael Arishita, and Hayden Marrs remain tightly grouped behind them. On the women’s side, Langrehr holds the national lead with 59 points, followed by French with 52 and Steptoe with 45, showing how each ranking event continues to reshape the race for national team positions as the season progresses.

“This past weekend’s USAPM Charlotte Invitational was a great example of the momentum we are seeing across the program,” said Kevin Montford, CEO of USA Pentathlon Multisport. “I continue to be impressed by the amount of talent emerging at all levels, and even more encouraged by the month-to-month improvements our athletes are making. That kind of steady progress is exactly what we want to see as we head into the start of the World Cup season, and it gives us a lot of confidence in the direction of Team USA moving forward.”

Omar Abdelkader delivered one of the strongest overall performances of the competition by winning both the Junior Men and U-19 Men divisions. In the Junior Men’s event, Abdelkader finished first with 1,556 points, followed by Hayden Marrs in second and Luke Filar in third. In the U-19 Men’s race, Abdelkader again took gold, with Filar earning silver and Steven Wimmer placing third after consistent results across all four disciplines.In the U-17 Men’s division, Mason Lee captured the title with a strong all-around performance, including the top fencing score and one of the fastest laser runs of the day. Wally Siggins finished second after winning the obstacle discipline, while Benjamin Ayroso placed third after recording the fastest laser run in the division.

The U-15 Women’s division continued to showcase the strength of the developing pipeline, with Nidhi Thanikkappilly winning the event after posting the top obstacle and laser run scores, while Srjani Iyer finished second with consistent performances across all four disciplines.

USA Pentathlon Multisport would like to thank all athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers who helped make the 2026 Charlotte Invitational a successful start to the season. The domestic ranking series will continue next month as athletes look to earn points toward national team selection and prepare for the upcoming World Cup season.