Race Coverage

Gruesome, But Great....

Tuesday, 14 June 2016 00:10

Liberty Half & Olympic - Sometimes, great races are contested in gruesome weather. The deluge at Lake Nokomis (Mpls Tri) in 2002 and the broiling, sweltering Superior Man in 2012, come immediately (and frighteningly) to mind....

More recently, last Saturday to be exact, another great race had to contend with gruesome weather. Temps rose into the low 90s, dew points into the low 70s, and clouds and ozone were not abundant enough to prevent a grilling effect.

We're talking about Liberty Half and Olympic, but as ever, the participants toughed it out, which made the experience of finishing all the more triumphant.

Somehow, five divisional records, four in the Olympic event, and one in the half, managed to be rewritten. Interestly, all of those marks were lowered by masters, athletes ranging in age from 40 (Andrea Myers) to 63 (Pam Stevens). For the most part, Experience and Maturity ruled at Lake Rebecca last weekend.

Four of the Top 10 Olympic men were forty-plussers, starting with perennial US Master of the Year consideree Kevin O'Connor, 45, who went off the front early and stayed there. Though his winning time (2:01:22) was almost four minutes slower than his winning clocking in 2015, and eight-and-a-half minutes off his course record performance in 2013, he nevertheless managed to win by nearly a four minute margin.

The runner-up was fellow master Scott Myers (2:05:18), who has been impressive in each of his four starts thus far this season.

South Dakotan Justin Schweitzer, 37 (2:06:02) rounded out the men's podium. Justin was seven minutes faster this year than he was in his last Liberty Olympic performance (2014).

Half of the women in the Olympic Top 10 were masters, three  of them were 50+, starting with the incredible Cheryl Zitur, 52, who also won the Buffalo Sprint in record time the previous Sunday. Zitur's amazing 2:15:42, would have been an awesome result under perfect conditions. The 2:15 was the 5th fastest women's time in the 12-year history of the race.

The two-time Worlds medalist has nine career victories, the first posted when she was 49 (Walker Tri). Though her season is scheduled to end on June 30 when she donates one of her kidney's to her ailing son, Chris, it is quite possible that she will, for the 3rd straight year, win the Minnesota Master of the Year award.

Finishing 2nd was Andrea Myers, 40, Scott's wife. Her time was a circumstantially satisfying 2:18:16. Andi placed 5th (1st Master - 2:16:33) against a stellar field the previous weekend at Buffalo Olympic.

The final women's  podium spot was claimed by Julia Weisbecker, 50, who's time was 2:19:52. Julia set a divisional record and placed 4th overall at Gear West on May 22. It's reasonable to assume that Andi and Julia will be considered at season's end for MOY nominations.

In addition to the divisional records set by Zitur and Myers, Gillian Auslander, 46 (2:28:34) and Pam Stevens, 63 (2:47:52) also set new standards for their AGs.

As temps and dew points climbed during the day, the question of whether a man would be able to break 4:20 in the half surfaced, as did the question of how many women would be able to crack 5-hours. It was certainly a possibility that, despite the impressive depth of field, that nobody would be able to accomplish these feats.

In the end, though, Iowa's Justin Herrick (4:17:26), last year's runner-up, proved his toughness with a 4:17:26, which was only four minutes off his PR. Second placer Wade Cruser would have dipped under 4:20 had be been able to save 30-seconds along the way. His 4:20:29 was a personal best for the distance, and was made more sweet by the fact that he was able to overtake pre-race favorite Sean Cooley, who wound up in 3rd in 4:21:46.

Cooley, a three-time Superior Man winner, was actually more concerned with someone else's finish than his own. His girlfriend Hanna Grinaker, who has red hair and a 14-inch waistline, was racing, and doing so in banshee-esque fashion.

Making her long distance debut in only her 3rd triathlon--her first two races were the previous weekend, where she set a women's  course record at New Bri and placed 2nd the next day at Buffalo Olympic (2:10:58!)--Hanna was nevertheless giving favored veteran Diane Hankee all she could handle, in spite of having missed a turn which added extra distance. (Hanna missed the turn, not Diane.)

Hankee, who was victorious here in 2013, did win, her time was a very groovy 4:42:30. She now has four half IM Ws on her resume.

Grinaker hung in for 2nd in 4:47:07, an insane time for a rookie. We doubt that there is a first-year triathlete in America that can match Hanna's performances or potential. She has "Pro" written all over her.

One other woman  managed to dip under the magic 300-minute mark. It was former Superior Man winner / chronically happy person Kristin Gustafson. Her time was 4:55:24.

We mentioned earlier that one divisional record in the half was rewritten. The writer was two-time Ironman Wisconsin amateur champ Jan Guenther, 57. Her 5:07:47 lowered Canadian star Edie Fischer's AG mark by exactly two minutes. RESULTS

Photo of Every Man Jack guys (L-R) - Sean Cooley (3rd), Anthony Jagielo, Steve Morris (4th) and Justin Herrick (1st).