Home
Back-to-Back Wins for the Gophers...
-
Tuesday, 12 June 2018 23:30
By Andy Hardt, Byron Smith, Sophie Rabino & Melanie Maloney
The University of Minnesota Gophers were back in action these past two weekends as they opened their summer season at the Pigman Triathlon in Cedar Rapids, IA followed by Trinona in Winona, MN.
The Gophers brought 11 total athletes and took the collegiate titles on both the men’s and women’s sides at the Pigman race.
On the women’s side, the Gophers were led by Sophie Rabino in 2nd (collegiate; 7th overall), who was the first or second fastest collegiate on all five splits (including transitions). Newly elected Team President Toni Marano was next in 3rd. Michelle Ring and Payton Keddell also had strong races and helped the team come away with the win. ...
Lake Minnetonka Tri - Predictions...& Updates...
-
Monday, 11 June 2018 23:20
LAKE MINNETONKA PREVIEW - The 15th edition of the LMT will happen on Saturday, June 16. This event has everything: outstanding venue, great amenities, welcoming vibe. It is also one of the few races anywhere that continues to draw its target numbers.
Last week, race director ROSS ROGNEY and timer BRAD PICKLE shared the to-date registration list with MTN. A quick perusal got us very excited, making us thankful that we were wearing adult diapers. It also made us very anxious to make some predictions.
So, without further ado...
Let's start with the 60-64M AG. TONY SCHILLER, who won this race outright when he was 50, is now 60. He owns the 50-54M and 55-59M records, and we predict that he will rewrite the 60-64M course best, which currently belongs to national class AGer BEN EWERS. Ben's time was a very fast 1:14:27, set back in 2009. We suspect that Tony was not happy with his 1:13:43 at the age of 59 last year. He'd gone almost four minutes faster than that the year before. If the weather cooperates, we think TS will pop a 1:10 - 1:11 next weekend.
We are also anxious to see how a pair of talented teens fare against each other. We're talking about ISABELLA BUENTING, 15, and MACY IYER, 14. Bella won the junior title here last year, and is coming off a very impressive 3rd place overall finish at New Bri. Iyer is off to a rip-roaring start this season, winning the Cinco Du Mayo Sprint outright, and crushing the junior CR in the process, and placing 4th overall at Oakdale Du.
Based on the last head-to-head between these girls (Trinona Sprint '17), wherein Iyer placed 2nd overall, and Buenting 4th, we are giving the edge to Iyer. Epic battle. We also believe that the winner will break 1:20....
More Racing News....
-
Monday, 11 June 2018 23:10
TRINONA - A quick glance at the Trinona X results tells us that GABY BUNTEN had threepeated, and by her bigliest margin yet. We had correctly predicted that ISU triathlete Jeff Mettler would join Gaby in the Olypic Winners' Circle.
We were most impressed with the number of teen athletes that rocked out in Winona last Sunday. Minneapolis (by way of Waconia, we think?) triathlete MATTHEW TRACY, 18, who flew under the radar in 2017 because he did his most impressive racing on Wisconsin soil, placed 2nd overall in the men's Olympic contest.
It was in the Sprint, were most of the juniors rocked out, though. Following winner CHRISTOPHER BUDAHN, 35, of Kenyon, was silver medalist / 2017 JOY nominee CARTER DEICHMAN, 17, of Mankato. Also in the men's Top 5 were Carter's brother CARSON, 15 (4th) and Cambridge's JACK HENNEN, 17 (5th). Budahn was also victorious the previous weekend at Eau Claire.
2017 Junior of the Year TAYLOR LUNDQUIST, now 18, and her sister SIMONE, 15, though fatigued from having competed in the State Track Meet the previous day, placed 2nd and and 9th respectively. Taylor finished only 20 seconds behind winner MIKKA NORBY. RESULTS ...
It Rained. A Lot....(With Important Updates!)
-
Saturday, 09 June 2018 23:20
LIBERTY TRIATHLON - It rained. A lot. And lightning became the kind of threat that forced race and USAT officials to shorten the bike route, albeit not before the leaders in both the Olympic and half IMers had passed the point where participants were rerouted.
When the athletes de-biked, all were instructed to run the 10K course, which lopped an additional seven miles from the 70.3 route.
At least three participants eschewed the alterations, intent on doing the entire long course. One of them was elite entrant JOSH MORK, who'se eventual 4:21:06 was unofficial, though a signiificant improvement on his prior best at the distance.
Poor Josh. The week before he was enjoying a large lead when he zigged off course. He righted his ship, but the eventual result was a 3rd place finish, not a victory.
How would Josh have fared if fellow elites SEAN COOLEY, DAN ARLANDSON and WADE CRUSER (scary photo L - courtesy of Drew Frakes) decided to run the entire half marathon? We can only speculate, but that is something we love to do. Please don't take our conclusions too seriously....
Everyone Should Do This...
-
Saturday, 09 June 2018 23:10
Not a race report, a “spectator report”
By Nikki Dostert Sudberry
NEW BRI TRI SPECTATOR REPORT - New Bri Tri brought many Minnesotans out of hibernation last Sunday. The sprint distance triathlon attracted new and seasoned athletes to Long Lake beach where the wind was the talk of the morning.
I used to race every chance I could and now that I have nailed down my race schedule for the 2018 season I am making it my mission to spectate and support athletes when I’m not racing. And you know what? Everyone should try to do it. I love to be able to empathize and relate to the athletes about the course, about the weather, about nervousness.
Bringing my camera to the races (I’m not a photographer by trade… but a radiographer. So I take pictures INSIDE of the body. I know, CREEPY AF but we are talking triathlons here) Anyway, bringing my camera to the races allows me to capture what we have all felt before, during and after our race. Nervous laughs, double- triple checking transition areas, serious faces, worried faces, pee faces. ok, lets be honest, “pee face” doesn’t happen in triathlon; everyone pees in their wet suits! (you can tell if your spectating a triathlon, duathlon or running event by the line to the port-john… triathlon lines are shorter for a reason…jussayin) ...
