Race Coverage

A Showcase For Frontrunners....

Sunday, 26 August 2018 23:10

MAPLE GROVE TRIATHLON - This race has always been a showcase for frontrunners. 

We're talking about those who have clearly established themselves as nominees for post-season honors.

The clearest example of this last Saturday was WADE CRUSER's and BECKY YOUNGBERG's dominance in the Olympic competition. Both athletes were on a winning spee when they entered the race. Becky had won her last two races, both in record time, and her entire 2018 scorecard convincingly showed that the 43-year-old Eden Prairie mom was the Master of the Year frontrunner.

Wade arrived at Weaver Lake Park with three consecutive wins in as many weeks under his belt, one of which was a course record. He came into the race as a prohibitive favorite, "prohibitive" because you never know what college studs are going to show up on race day. ...

Wade came out of the race as arguably the frontrunner for 2018 Triathlete of the Year. His fourth consecutive W produced another CR, this one a 1:54:18, which nibbled 14 ticks off KRIS SPOTH's 2015 course best. His margin of victory on Saturday was just under two mintes over another "frontrunner," KEVIN O'CONNOR, who has the current edge over competition for Master of the Year. KO's 1:56:05 was 4:32 faster than the previous MR, and 9:39 better than his AG's (45-49) course best.

Iowa Sate's JEFF METTLER, whose impressive 2018 resume includes a victory at Trinona Olympic, grabbed the final podium spot with his 1:56:45, putting him just seven second ahead of PATRICK PARISH. (MTN combines all Olympic results--Premier, Collegiate and Individual--when determining Top 10s and AG winners.)

Back to Becky. We had assumed that she'd rewrite the masters record. We weren't ready to predict a course record, however, that being GABY BUNTEN's 2:09:32 from 2015. The MR was 2:13:33 and based on her last two Olympic efforts, we thought that a 2:10 was possible.

Man, did we sell her short. She went off the front early and didn't just stay there, she continued to build her lead until she hit the finish line in 2:05.01! If it wasn't clear on August 25 that she deserved a Triathlete of the Year award nomination, in addition to a slam-dunk MOY nomination, then by mid-morning on the twenty-sixth all doubt was lifted. Wade's effort could earn a Performance of the Year nod. Becky's is almost certain to.

The women's silver medalist was KELLY TROM (2:11:05), who also finished 2nd two weeks ago at YWCA, with the bronze going to The U's MELANIE MALONEY (2:14:41).

So you know, O'connor and Youngberg were not the only ones to set AG records. ERIC CHABON took down his own 50-54 mark set in 2017, and PAM STEVENS, 65, set her umteenth divisional record of the year. Yes, it would be fair to say tha Pam is the current Grand Master of the Year frontrunner.

Becky Youngberg is not the only female Minnesota master who is rocking out this year. CHERYL ZITUR, 54, a three-time MOY, is a likely candidate for a Masters nomination. On Saturday, she won the overall women's Sprint title for the 4th time, the win the 13th of her career. Making her 2018 resume, which features two wins and three age group records, even more noteworthy was the fact that she managed to outrace last year's Master of the Year, DIANE HANKEE, 41, who placed 2nd, and the resurgent SARA RONDORF, 40, (top photo) who adds her bronze at Maple Grove to a scorecard that includes a win at New Bri, and four other Top 5 efforts.

Juniors stole the show in the men's Sprint, as KYLE SWENSON, 16, managed to clip 2016 JOY  runner-up CARTER DEICHMAN, 17, by twenty seconds, for the Top  Two spots. Swenson's 1:04:07 was a junior CR, and his current scorecard  may  be just enough to earn him a JOY nomination, though we'd love to see him add at least one more race to his schedule, as that would probably seal the deal.

Fellow teen JACK HENNEN, 18, grabbed 4th. The  only legal adult in the Top 4 was bronze medalist STEPHEN DENNISON.

PATRICK KEYS and JOYCE BOURASSA shared the Top Step in this year's Maple Grove Duathlon. RESULTS

ED. Awesome photos by Paul Phillips / Competitive Image. Visit the race website and / or the race's Facebook page to view all the outstanding images.