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Kearns • A handful of American long-track speedskaters were sprawled out on the third floor of the Utah Olympic Oval early Sunday morning. Stretching and warming up for their own 1,000-meter final of the 2017 U.S. Speedskating Championships, they looked on through the glass windows as Heather Bergsma just wouldn't slow down.

Which shouldn't come as as surprise.

Finally, when she finished the women's 1,000-meter final in a blazing 1:14:13, one of the skaters said softly in jest, "Is that fast for her?" The answer when it comes to Bergsma is usually, always, yes. The 1,000-meter time she put down Sunday in Kearns was the fastest 1,000-meter skate by any female skater in the world this calendar season.

So, yes, even for the 27-year-old Bergsma, that's quite fast.

The two-time Olympian who currently leads the ISU World Cup overall standings continued her stellar year this weekend after setting new season-bests in each women's 500-meter race Friday at the Oval. Bergsma's time Sunday ranks 0.29 faster than the previous world high set by China's Hong Zhang during a World Cup stop in China in October.

"I'm really happy with my 1,000," Bergsma said, who lives and trains in the Netherlands. "I was a little sleepy from the travel here. The altitude is really hitting hard on my lungs, so I was happy with [the time]."

The proud owner of world-record times, national-record times, and someone very familiar with the center spot on the podium, Bergsma said setting new benchmarks for herself and the rest of the long-track world doesn't get old. Nearly three hours later, she won (9:19:35) the women's mass start — an open race of 16 laps — barely edging Mia Manganello (9:19:42) by .07 seconds.

"I just have to stick to what my strategy is in the mass start," Bergsma said. "I'm a sprinter, so I can't do so much work [early on]. I try to save and sprint that last lap."

Of the four U.S. titles won this weekend, the two 500-meter races and the 1,000-meter race qualify Bergsma for the upcoming World Sprint Championships in Calgary in late February.

The World Cup leader wasn't the only American to shine in those events Sunday. One of the athletes looking on as Bergsma set a new fastest time this year, Joey Mantia, also had some lightning-quick races of his own at the Oval.

The 30-year-old long-track skater from Ocala, Fla., also set the fastest time in the men's 1,000-meter race Sunday, a day after doing the same in the men's 1,500-meter event (1:43:00). Mantia's 1,000-meter skate of 1:07.52 topped the fastest skate of the year, which was set just 72 hours prior by Canada's Vincent De Haitre Thursday in the Canadian Single Distance Championships in Calgary.

"It is cool," he said. "It's a cool stat to say and post on social media, but at the end of the day, a lot of the best guys don't skate on fast ice all year around."

And just like Bergsma, Mantia was forced to rally in the final lap to win the men's mass start by zipping by KC Boutiette — also by .07 seconds. Mantia is the current overall points leader in the mass start for a position to go to the World Championships.

"I made sure he stayed close to where within half-a-lap to go, I felt comfortable I could get him back," he said.

And he did.

Twitter: @chriskamrani —

U.S. Speedskating Championships

Jan. 6-8, Utah Olympic Oval, Kearns

Women's 1,000-meter final

1. Heather Bergsma, 1:14:13

2. Jerica Tandiman, 1:16:62

3. Sugar Todd, 1:17:08

Men's 1,000-meter final

1. Joey Mantia, 1:07.52

2. Shani Davis, 1:07:83

3. Jonathan Garcia, 1:07:97

Women's mass start final

1. Heather Bergsma, 9:19:35

2. Mia Manganello, 9:19:42

3. Maria Lamb, 9:20:00

Men's mass start final

1. Joey Mantia, 8:43:94

2. KC Boutiette, 8:44:01

3. Brian Hansen, 8:44:71