Race Coverage

Nate & Nicole Keep Winning...

Monday, 26 June 2017 09:10

Photo (L-R) - Jordan, Christina, Nathan, Julie

LAKE WACONIA XXVIII - If the season ended today, one of the frontrunners for Female Triathlete of the Year would be NICOLE HEININGER. (The other would be DANI VSETECKA.) Nicole has won three of the five races she's entered thus far, and placed 2nd and 4th in the other two.

Nicole's most recent victory was recorded last Sunday at Lake Waconia, where a monster bike split sealed the deal. She was cresting Cemetary Hill on foot before her closest challenger, DIANE HANKEE entered T2.

Heininger kept pushing. She didn't let up. When she crossed the finish line she had more than two minutes to recover befor Hankee, who, in deja vu fashion, was relentlessly pursued by CHRISTINA ROBERTS. In the end, Hankee's margin over Roberts was only nine seconds. (In 2016, Diane's margin was 11 seconds.)

Exciting stuff.

The win was the 12th of Heininger's young career, and her 2nd at the LWT. She also was victorious here in 2014.

Fourth place was earned by two-time LWT winner SUZIE FOX. Fifth was taken by 58-year-old JAN GUENTHER, who's 1:32:58 was nothing short of superhero-ish; the AG performance of the day, hands down....

The pre-race weather was a source of concern. High winds and dark clouds had made the 55-degree morning feel much colder. The wind had also angered the lake, making it rippy and bumpy. Recalling the swim conditions at Liberty, Race Director MARK BONGERS made the executive decision to shorten the swim from a half to a quarter mile. Good call.

When the majority of the racers got onto the bike course, the conditions softened a little, and the eventual times were not nearly a slow as many thought they would be.

Moments after the elite men exited T1 it appeared that either MATTHEW PAYNE, who was gunning for his 50th career victory, and win #4 here at LW, or NATHAN ANSBAUGH, fresh off his triumph at Lake Minnetonka would come out on top. This question was answered when The Payne Train zagged when he should have zigged, a move that deposited him on one of the race's former routes. This move added about 3K to his ride.

Dr. Nate did charge on to a first place finish, but it wasn't a runaway. 2016 LWT bronze medalist JOSH BLANKENHEIM (photo R with girlfriend, Larissa, who is a total HOOT!) made up a lot of ground on the run, closing the final gap to 32-seconds.

The men's podium was filled out by 2016 Most Improved nominee JORDAN ROBY, who now has four Top 3 finishes in five starts this season. Another MI nomination, and his second consecutive berth on Team Minnesota, may come his way this fall.

Placing 4th and 5th respectively were ANDY WIBERG (6th in 2016) and up-and-comer DAVID KOPPEL.

Despite the weather, the LWT was an awesoem event.

Here are the AG winners:

0019 - GARRETT WELSCH - 1:24:43 (12th overall) & ILANA LEVINE - 1:41:30 (12th overall woman)