Race Coverage
Scheel and Myers Keep Winning...
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Friday, 29 June 2018 23:10
PERHAM TRIATHLON COVERAGE - Our prediction that Fargo's BRANDEN SCHEEL would not only win the 15th annual Perham Triathlon this morning, but do so in record time, was correct.
But is was not correct enough, for which we apologize. In our preview, we wrote “we think that Scheel will crack 59-minutes, perhaps a 58:45.”
On that mild, but thick, northland Saturday morning, Branden popped an extraordinary 58:22! He did so by outrunning the next fastest runner by almost 40-seconds per mile, and doing so after crushing the bike leg. His pace was over a one mph faster than the next fastest rider. The ultimate result was a 6:11 margin of victory over runner-up and close amigo, COREY NYGAARD.
Corey also placed 2ndbehind his bud at Chain of Lakes last May.
The Minnesota Multisport Awards committee includes border-state athletes whose resumes feature at least three outstanding efforts on Minnesota soil in its annual deliberations. Scheel has already raced twice this season on the east side of the Red River, both times producing runaway wins and new course records. He needs only one more great performance in Minnesota, probably at Young Life in Detroit Lakes, though we hope he will race here several more times this year.
Thus far in 2018, Branden has three record-setting multisport wins in four starts. The non-winning performance produced a 2ndat Chattanooga 70.3, a national race. The MMA Committee is watching him closely, thinking that a Most Improved nomination and a spot on Team Minnesota may be in his future....
We had predicted that SCOTT MYERS, 43, would place 2nd. Late registrant, Corey Nygaard bumped Myers to the bronze medal position.
Myer's wife, ANDREA, 42, was our pick to win the women's title, which she did. We had predicted that she would take the course record down a notch, but her time - 1:09:42 – would be the second fastest in race history, and nuke the Masters Record by more than four minutes.
She finished 6thoverall.
A prolific racer, check out Andrea's impressive 2018 resume thus far:
2018: 1st@ Falls Du (-2:03)
1st@ Cinco Du Mayo LC
2nd@ Apple
3rd@ Liberty Olympic
1st@ Perham – MR
Very likely, another Master of the Year nomination will come her way at season's end.
Filling out the women's podium was runner-up ALEXA STALLWORTH, 23 of Tucson, Arizona, and third placer TANYA COLLINS, 37, of Deer Creek. Stallworth races for the UA Wildcats, likes Kenny Chesney, The Hangover and, apparently, Branden Scheel (Top photo). Collins was a Top 5 finisher earlier this year at TriWadena.
Ninety-five athletes finished the race. RESULTS
