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Elena, Heather & Caryn are 2024 TOY Nominees...

Wednesday, 06 November 2024 00:10

Photo - TOY nominee Elena Jasper with her dad, Chuck Hengel, who is nominated for GMOY.

By Garfunkel

2024 Minnesota Multisport Honors - Triathlete of the Year is the most prestigious accolade that the Minnesota Multisport Honors Committee awards. The winner, by nature of the award, will also be ranked on top of Team Minnesota when that announcement is made. Here are the 3 women that Simon and I agreed earned Triathlete of the Year nominations for 2024:

Elena Jasper, 27, Deephaven:
Elena raced prolifically in 2024, which we love. She started the season with a 70.3 PR (4:47) in Chattanooga, won Lake Minnetonka sprint and Clearwater Olympic, was 3rd at Timberman Olympic and Maple Grove Olympic. She also won a 70.3 (Chisago) by pretty much tying her PR, and then proceeded to end the year with another 70.3 PR of 4:44 at Madison, placing 5th overall.

Heather Lendway, 40, St. Paul:
Heather placed 2nd at Timberman olympic, she won the Hopkins sprint duathlon* (the swim was canceled), and capped-off her season by winning her third national title at USAT’s olympic-distance national championship.

Caryn Wikman, 34, St. Louis Park:
Caryn’s season was like DJ Khaled’s popular song “All I Do Is Win”. She took the top step at Chisago’s relatively-new olympic distance event in a time of 2:10:45, then went on to win Maple Grove olympic a month later in a stellar 2:05:09, and ended her season with another win, this time at Madison 70.3 in a PR time of 4:37:03.