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Gaby & Wade...

Monday, 15 January 2018 23:10

Last week we said that two Minnesota multisport athletes deserve USAT recognition. We were talking about GABY BUNTEN and WADE CRUSER.

Here's why:

GABY - USAT is like "American Idol" and "The Voice." Song choice will make-or-break a singer on those TV shows, and race choice is what cuts it for USAT. Having an amazing regional resume with wins against national level athletes isn't enough. One has to excel in a handful of hand-picked races, e.g. USAT championships, Worlds, Ironman or 70.3 and a few high-profile Olympic races, like St. Anthony's and those produced by Life Time Fitness.  Never mind that, say, Superior Tri had a top end women's field in 2016 that rivaled ANY non-championship 70.3, or that the men's field at Capitol City in 2015 was comparable to Nationals. 

Gaby won TWO high-profile national races--Lifet Time - Minneapolis & Life Time - South Beach--in 2017, plus cracking the Top 5 at Nationals, which puts her in an elite sorority alongside Heather Lendway and Cathy Yndestad, Minnesota women who have cracked the Top 5 at our country's most competitive race. Adding luster to her resume was the fact that she beat Missouri's Danielle Dingman, who appears destined to earn a USAT TOY HM as well as being named US Duathlete of the Year, at Minneapolis. (Danielle has recently procured her pro license.)...

It is for these reasons that we believe that Gaby is worthy of a TOY Honorable Mention. 

Our Pick for women's TOY:  Kirsten Sass (TN)

WADE CRUSER - Wade is easily one of the three best amateur male duathletes in the country. We also believe that his 2017 resume is impressive enough to earn the DOY runner-up award, if such a thing existed.

Here is his du resume:

- 1st @ Cinco Du Mayo Long Course - CR

- 1st @ Apple Duathlon - beat two pros

- 3rd / 2nd amateur @ Duathlon Nationals

Would Wade's scorecard have been good enough for the DOY if he hadn't flatted at Oakdale, and gone on to set the CR? Unfortunately, not. 

The man who deserves Duathlete of the Year is a special athlete who currently resides in Moscow, Idaho. His name is Albert Harrison. Here are his 2017 du highlights:

- 1st @ USAT Standard Distance Du Nationals (by almost two minutes!)

- 1st @ Duathlon Worlds

- 2nd @ Sprint Duathlon Worlds