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2017 Minnesota Multisport Awards...

Monday, 25 September 2017 19:10

2017 MINNESOTA MULTISPORT AWARDS – The MMA Committee has begun the process of determining this year's nominees, and the candidates in at least one of the categories (Rookie of the Year) will be revealed on this site later this week....

How are the nominees determined? Firstly, an athletes has to have turned in a minimum of three outstanding performances in order to be eligible. Typically, a nominee actually will need 4-5 great efforts to receive serious consideration.

What is an “outstanding” performance? One that sets a “record,” overall or divisional, certainly qualifies. As does one that rivals the standards set by former nominees and MMA winners. For instance, we measure athletes against those who have won MMAs, or come very close to doing so. Thus, Rookies are measured against the standards set by the best rookies of the past, athletes like Kortney Haag, Suzie Fox and Patrick Parish. (Parish was actually runner-up for 2008 ROY behind Haag.) And Juniors are compared to the likes of Greta Danielson, Beth Zirbes and Nick Klonne.

HIstorically, many categories have been won by world-class amateurs, thus lots of great athletes never receive nominations.

Master of the Year is such a category. Nominees are measured against the highest standards; standards established by Tony Schiller, Jan Guenther, Brian Bich, Kevin O'Connor.

What all this means is that many athletes who regularly win their AGs, or win races with thin fields, will not receive nominations.

Another criteria is head-to-head battles. Beating someone who consistently earns MMA nominations and/or spots on Team Minnesota is a big deal to the Selectors, as is beating athletes from other states who have national reputations. Take a performance like Gaby Bunten's win at Minneapolis. It was a Big Time win that was enhanced by the fact that she outraced Missouri's Danielle Dingman, who had already won TWO national championship races this season, and Hanna Grinaker, Minnesota's Triathlete of the Year in 2016.

Likewise Dani Vsetecka's victory at Madison 70.3 was greatly enhanced by the fact that she beat Dani Fischer, who would later win Ironman Wisconsin, and Grinaker.

The Committee is also excited about the fact that many new names will be considered this year. It's possible that all four or five Junior of the Year nominees will be first-timers, and people like Daniel Kirk, Spike Millslagle, Mike Flynn and Helen Gunther will be part of the Grand Master discussion.

Master of the Year will be extra competitive, as Matthew Payne, Brooks Grossinger, Diane Hankee and Angela Kidd all turned 40 in 2017.

And it appears that several new names, at least three per gender, will earn spots on Team Minnesota.

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will happen on Saturday, November 4, at Gear West Bike and Triathlon, the event's home since 2011. More information will be available soon on this website, as well as GWB&T's. And don't forget to vote for your favorite Minnesota multisport race of the Year, if you haven't done so already. VOTE

Top Photo courtesy of Nick Morales - 2012 Team Minnesota - Men (L-R) - Dan Hedgecock (2nd), Patrick Parish (3rd), Matthew Payne (4th), Devon Palmer (5th), Alex Hooke (6th), Marcus Stromberg (7th), David Holden (8th), Kevin O'Connor (10th). Women (L-R) - RBM's surrogate, Cathy Yndestad (2nd), Suzie Fox (3rd), Claire Bootsma (4th), Elaine Nelson (5th), Heidi Keller-Miler (8th), Andrea Myers (10th).

Page 2 Photo (Nick Morales) - 2012 Race of the Year - YWCA Women's Triathlon.