Race Coverage

Serious POY Consideration...

Tuesday, 30 August 2016 23:10

SUPERIOR MAN TRIATHLON - There's no question that SEAN COOLEY's record-setting victory at Superior Man last Sunday will receive serious "Performance of the Year" consideration. It was not only his time--4:04:21--(and 2:07 bike split!) that was impressive. It was the way he (photo L)  and three-time Minnesota Triathlete of the Year MATTHEW PAYNE battled over most of the event's 70.3 miles.

Though Payne struggled during the run with an "abdominal thing," that thing ruined his Nationals and that he totally needs to see a doctor about, he was quick to assert after the race that, in effect, no one was going to beat Cooley today.

While Matt and Sean were doing their "Dave versus Mark at Kona impression," former Canadian National champ PATRICK PEACOCK, now 42, was hammering his way to a podium spot and a new SM masters record.  His excellent 4:14:21 took the old mark down by almost 16 minutes....

A record seven men broke 4:20 last Sunday. Check it out:

1. SEAN COOLEY, 31, St. Paul - 4:04:21 -  Race Record & PR (Old PR - 4:09:05 - Chisago 2014). Sean has won four of the five SM Halves.

2. MATTHEW PAYNE, 39, Golden Valley - 4:10:47 - Despite his injury, The Pain Train was only three seconds slower than his winning time here in 2015.

3. PATRICK PEACOCK, 42, Winnipeg, MAN - 4:14:21 - Lowered SM's Men's Masters Record by 15:53.

4. BEN LINDELL, 30, Madison, WI - 4:14:47 - PR

5. ANDY WIBERG, 38, Lakeville - 4:16:47 - PR (Old PR - 4:23:24 - Racine 2013)

6. DANNY MORWOOD, 42, Kenora, ONT - 4:17:01

7. PAUL ROCKWOOD, 28, Superior, WI - 4:19:19 (PR - 4:18:02 - Toughman 2015)

Also, divisional records were set by JUSTIN MULDER (19U), DAVID LYON (50-54M) and JIM MINER (60-64M).

3rd Annual SUPERIOR MAN 41.5 (.5 SWIM - 34.4 bike - 5.6 run) - This totally unique and cool event was won by Rochesterarian PETER SOMERS in race record time (2:23:23). It was Somers' second win of the 2016 season.

Finishing atop the women's leaderboard was Bemidji's CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN, who blasted the race's Masters Record.  Her 2:42:59 was 46:18 better than the old MR. For Christel, 51, it was her ninth career multisport win AND another example of how Minnesota's 50+ women--CHERYL ZITUR, JULIA WEISBECKER, JAN GUENTHER, TRACY SERREYN et al-- are killing it this year.

Finishing 2nd for the men was KRIS NISULA, 40, of Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kris' 2:24:54 was a Masters Record made even more remarkable by the fact that he raced at Ironman Mont-Tremblant the previous weekend. Sick, right?

The final podium spot went to MITCHELL CLAYTON, 19, who is truly enjoying a breakout season (4 overall wins) and appears to be a shoo-in for another (his 3rd) Junior of the Year nomination.

The other women's podium spots were well-earned by LISA WACEK (45-49W CR - 2:51:53) and ANGELA ENGEL (2:59:06) of Abbottsford, WI.

A total of eight divisional records were rewritten: KRIS NISULA (40-44M), KAREN MURPHY, Thunder Bay (40-44W), LISA WACEK (45-49W), ROD RAYMOND (50-54M), CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN (MR & 50-54W), CAROLYN MILBRATH (55-59W) and LYNN VOGT, Ankeny, IA (65-69M). Lynn also owns his AG's record in the SM Half IM. 

Approximately 300 athletes (SM, SM Relay and 41.5) finished this year's races. RESULTS

Photo Above - Some new friends from the Prairie Athletic Tri Team from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.