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Caryn & Tevin are 2024 Most Improved...

Tuesday, 19 November 2024 00:10

By Simon

2024 Minnesota Multisport Honors - CARYN WIKMAN and TEVIN NEEGARD are our picks for 2024 Most Improved. MI was a difficult category, as strong cases coud be made for each nominee. Here's why Garfunkel and I chose Caryn and Tevin:

CARYN WIKMAN, 34, St. Louis Park - It blew our minds when researching Caryn's career resume that she has never won an MMH. She has made the Top 5 on Team MInnesota twice, yet never collected an individual category award, despite several nominations. This season she only raced three times, but all three were decisive wins and POY-worthy:

1st @ Chisago Olympic - 2:10:45 - Margin of Victory: 7:11 (8:48 behind men's winner!)

1st @ Maple Grove Olympic - 2:05:09 - Margin of Viictory: 3:28

1st @ Ironman 70.3 Madison  - 4:37:47 - Margin of Victory: 3:18...

As we said, strong arguments for the other candidates can be made. Tiffany Kari Cizmas had an awesome season. Only the highly decorated Becky Youngberg stood in the way of her receiving the Master of the Year honor. There will be a place for Tiff on Team Minnesota, and perhaps a slot for fellow MI nominee Kadie Hokanson, too. (Team MN has yet to be assembled.) (Spoiler Alert!) Caryn, however, will claim the team's #1 position.

 Comment: Kadie placed 21st overall woman / 5th G @ Ironman Arizona last weekend!

TEVIN NEEGAARD, 25, Maple Grove - Garf and I took turns arguing for each of the nominees. I supported Spencer Syvertson initially. Garfy argued that his emergence was not unpredictable. A second look and I agreed with that claim. Then I argued for Nathan Kim, who like Spencer, will be ranked in the Top 5 on Team Minnesota. His was vastly improved from 2023, but his youth and the way he ended that season--a 1:57:41 (5th place overall)--at Mape Grove Olympic--foreshadowed his 2024 improvement. Tevin, on the other hand, wasn't even on the radar in '23. Nothing about those performances portended his 2024 scorecard:

1st @ Fairmont Sprint - 54:32 (CR?) - 5:59 margin over two-time winner Kevin MItchell. Tevin's previous FST time: 1:08:49

3rd @ Fairmont Olympic - 2:02:26

5th @ Maple Grove Olympic - 1:57:50

10th amateur @ Ironman 70.3 Texas - 4:17:00

12th amateur @ Iironman 70.3 Michigan - 4:13:13

(Tevin's 2023 competive resume: 55th @ Fairmont Sprint - 1:08:49, 11th @ Chisago Olympic - 2:14:14, 32nd @ Ironman 70.3 Madison - 4:40.)

Garfunkel and I now agree that Tevin richly deserves the MI.