FEATURES
Brandon, Corey and Dillon...(And Peter, too)
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Sunday, 12 November 2023 00:10
By Mav
Minnesota has a rich multisport tradition, boasting some of the nation’s top triathletes. In addition to those at the pointy end of the spear, there is tremendous depth in the caliber of racers. The MMH for Most Improved looks to highlight those athletes who regularly race fast and contend at events, but took their speed and dedication to a truly elite level this past season. Below, alphabetically, are the three men that Mav believes leaped from solid to elite in 2023:
Brandon Lee, 42, Hugo: Brandon, also a nominee for Master of the Year, was relatively new and unknown just two years ago. In 2022 he stepped up his game, and in 2023 he jumped up his game. Brandon raced every distance from sprint to full Ironman, and his results at every level contend against the state’s top guys.
Corey Nygaard, 24, Alexandria: Corey has posted solid results in the past, but this year he got significantly faster and began winning. He won at Alexandria in course record time, won at Green Lake Olympic by over 15 minutes in thanks to the fastest swim and bike splits, and placed second at Tinman Olympic. He also had a DNF at Buzz Ryan sprint because of a flat tire, but was closely chasing Andrew Manning....
Dan, Brooks & Brandon...
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Tuesday, 07 November 2023 00:10
By Mav
2023 Men's Masters – Nominees - The Male Master of the Year honor is often one of the most challenging to come up with nominees for because of the depth and overall quality of racing, and 2023 was no exception. Below, in alphabetical order, are my nominees for the 2023 Male Master of the Year. Note: Just like with other categories, athletes need to have posted 3 or more great results to earn consideration:
Dan Arlandson: Dan, 46, from Burnsville, tends to focus on long course racing. Since Minnesota only has two long course races (Chisago and Square Lake 70.3s), many of those who focus specifically on long distance events are forced to race out of state. Thus, they rarely compete against their in-state peers, and this can make it difficult to compare resumes for Minnesota Multisport Honors purposes. But Dan deserves some love. In 2023, he placed second overall (1st master) at Chisago 70.3, posting a 4:20:45. He won is age group at 70.3 Gulf Coast in 4:20:37, and he also threw down a 4:31:10 (good enough for 3rd master) at Des Moines 70.3. While the MMH Committee would love to see Dan race some Olympic or Sprint distance events locally, we have to give credit where credit is due, and Dan had a fantastic racing season....
2023 Most Improved Women...
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Sunday, 05 November 2023 00:10
2023 Minnesota Multisport Honors - Here are the women who are being considered in the 2023 Most Improved category:
MATA AGRE, 30, Nisswa -
Highlights:
- 2nd @ Northwoods
- 3rd @ Lakes Country
- 4th @ Clearwater Olympic
Comment: Mata was significantly faster this year at Northwoods and Lakes Country than in year's past. Her Olympic result at Clearwater was solid, not quite at the level of "oustanding" needed to give her three outstanding peerformances. The question remains if, like with the junior girls, only two performances are needed, or as with most categories, three performances....
Ted's Season - Part II - Winter Training..
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Saturday, 04 November 2023 00:10
By Ted Treise
Tucson, Dimond Bikes and 7K swim sets - I love MN. It’s the greatest place. The people, the farmed country side with paved roads gridding away creating endless routes and the pretty mild summers. The northern woods of Duluth. BUT in the winter, things are a bit tough for training. So, Dani and I escape to Tucson each spring for a month or so. We’ve been doing it for a few years starting on the east side – base of Mount Lemmon, then now settling on the west side, Oro Valley.
The weather is amazing and I love the training buddies there but I am just going to complain a little here as I get so sick of those roads. IF you watch a Lionel video and he’s outside and it’s not riding Mount Lemmon. He is on Park Links. A 20 mile flat road in the desert north of town. Don’t want to ride 20 miles on a frontage road which mile deep heat cracks to Park Links? You can either do the shootout loop – south through town which takes 45 minutes to get to OR head west and do Big Square by Gates Pass or head over Gates Pass. Also the roads around Gates pass are the worst. You think for a national park they could get some Biden bucks and resurface their chip seal goat paths. Sorry, but I am the worst and just needed to complain about the roads there for a bit. I will say it is beautiful going through the unique scenery and various mini-mountains that blanket the landscape. It’s a challenging and powerful place to train....
Diane, Bettina & Stephanie...
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Thursday, 02 November 2023 00:10
By Mav
2023 Masters – Womens Nominees - Goose’s name-dropping post on potential female Master of the Year nominees included some familiar names, as well as women who took the next step in 2023. Highlighted below are the women aged 40-54 who I am nominating for the 2023 Minnesota Multisport Honor of Female Master of the Year:
Diane Hankee, 46, Lino Lakes. Diane is a 2x Master of the Year, and had a nomination-worthy season in 2023 as well. She had two regional podiums including a win at One Last Tri Sprint, and she posted solid results at Sprint and Olympic Nationals in Milwaukee.
Bettina Keppers, 40, Duluth. With 3 overall wins in 2023, Bettina set herself apart from the competition, often achieving this by way of a strong bike split bookended by a solid swim and run. Duluth has a strong multisport tradition – was her season good enough to crown her as the northland’s numero uno? Speculation aside, it is clear that she is a strong nominee for the Master of the Year honor.
Stephanie Peterson, 47, St. Paul. Stephanie had a breakout season in 2023 and didn’t miss the overall podium. She won outright three times (including a duathlon win at Oakdale), and she placed second in South Dakota at the HyVee Tri. ...
