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MTN's May 2018 Athletes of the Month...

Tuesday, 29 May 2018 01:10

The first full month of the 2018 tri / du season has concluded. Based on a minimum of two outstanding performances during this period, here are MTN's May Athletes of the Month:

MALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - MAY 2018

JESSON BAUMGARTNER, 36, Rochester (photo)

- Jesson raced twice, winning both times. His first W at Falls Du produced a course record. His 2nd win was at Apple, and featured a national class men's field including two-time national champion Todd Buckingham (MI), 2017 Apple winner Wade Cruser, Patrick Parish, the US's most decorated duathlete over the last half-dozen years, rising star Ted Treise, along with elites Kris Spoth, Josh Blankenheim, Brooks Grossinger, Kevin O'Connor, Andy Zabel, Jake Braam, Jacob Olsen et al. Baumgartner won the Duathlon World Championships in 2013....

New Bri XIII Preview...

Tuesday, 29 May 2018 00:08

NEW BRI TRI XIII - Though it is not our state's first tri of the season, it is, and has been for a dozen years, Minnesota's lake swim tri opener. The earlier races--Tinman, COLT, TriWadena--feature pool swims.

With the postponement of this year's Buffalo Tri, we encourage those who were planning to race at Sturges Park to sign up for New Bri. We'd love to see a huge turnout for this June 3 event....

Apple Awesome!...

Saturday, 26 May 2018 23:30

APPLE DUATHLON - It wasn't just warm. It was hot. And there wasn't a cloud in sight. Many, if not most, of the Apple participants would shift from racing mode to survival mode by the time they reached T2, if not earlier.

Some, however, were able to stay in race mode the whole way, most notably JESSON BAUMGARTNER, the 36-year-old physician from Rochester by way of Cedar City, Utah, and TODD BUCKINGHAM, 29, from Big Rapids, Michigan.

Baumgartner managed to stay aggressive thoughout, just as he had at Falls Du, where he decimated the men's course record. The former Southern Utah State University runner led the deep men's field through the opening 5K in 15:34. Then he crushed the 33K bike, landing him in T2 thirty-nine ticks in front of 2017 champ WADE CRUSER, who knew he was racing for 2nd place, and even that it wasn't going to be easy. In pursuit was Buckingham, a two-time USAT National Champion, who possesses great running creds.

Down by 46 ticks when he left transition, TB had to a choice to make. He could settle into a semi-comfortable pace and hold off former Apple champ PATRICK PARISH for the bronze medal position. Or he could charge on at full effort and hope that Cruser would come back to him.

If Cruser succumbed to the heat, and Buckingham did not, Todd could come out on top in this battle...

Tattoo Boy Goes Down Under...

Friday, 25 May 2018 23:20

By Ann Halliwell (postbulletin.com)

A Rochester man is gearing up to run a triathlon in front of the whole world.
Michael Karau qualified for the 2018 ITU World Champions during the summer of last year. Now he’s in the final few months of training for a race with top triathletes from all across the world.

The best part? He only started running a few years ago.

‘I went from couch potato nothing to something in about three years,” he said. “The fact that I get to be part of something this big, it’s pretty cool.”

Karau, 36, has lived in Rochester his whole life....

Apple Preview Part III...

Thursday, 24 May 2018 23:10

APPLE PREVIEW III - When this was written, only two women were registered in the Elite division. But they are two of our region's very best, national class talents certainly.

We're talking about SUZIE FOX and ELAINE NELSON, both of whom are past Apple champions. This head-to-head promises to be epic.

Here's some comparative stats:

SUZIE FOX, 32, Chaska

Career wins (since 2009) - 41

Career Du Wins - 9

Apple Podiums - 2 x 1st (2013, 2011), 2 x 2nd (2015, 2012), 2 x 3rd (2016, 2014)

Best Apple Time - 1:33:40 (2012) - #7 all-time amateur (since 2004)

ELAINE NELSON, 38, Duluth

Career wins (sine 2011): 16 (28 starts)

Career Du wins: - 2 (Apple 2015, Gear West 2014)

Duathlon Podiums - 2 x 1st, 1st 2nd (Gear West 2017), 1 x 3rd (Gear West 2015)

Best Apple Time - 1:34:06 (2015) - #9 all-time amateur (since 2014) ...