Race Coverage

Weekend Coverage...There and Here...

Saturday, 22 September 2018 23:10

AUGUSTA 70.3 - Couples led the way in both the pro and amateur competitions this morning in toasty Georgia. Tim O'Donnell and wife Mirinda Carfrae shared the top step of the pro podium.

The amateur titles were claimed by Rochester couple TED TREISE and DANI VSETECKA. (How cool is that!)

Dani's victory, the milestone 10th of her young multisport career, came as no surprise to us, not after her performance in 2017 at Madison 70.3, and more recently at Superiorman 41.5. Her Augusta time was very impressive--4:29:28 aided somewhat by a friendly current--and her margin of victory over North Carolinia Meghan Fillnow, a sub-10-hour Ironman, was even impressiver: 6:35!

Prior to the race our fingers were crossed for Ted. We believed that a podium was possible, but wondered if he was ready to give pre-race favorite Nathan Buttrick of South Carolina, a run for his money. Buttrick's PRs at IM and 70.3 are among the best in the country for an amateur: 8:37 and 4:02.

But as we know now, Teddy not only gave him a good race, he beat him, and did so somewhat handily, thanks to a superior run split (1:21:34 with temps in the high 80s). Treise's time was a personal best 4:08:28. Buttrick clocked in at 4:11:10. ...

Dani's performance, only her third tri finish of the year, satisfys the minimim "volume" requirement for MMH consideration. With two wins and a 2nd, it appears likely that there will be a spot for Ms. Vsetecka (pronounced "Sheh-tess-ka") on Team MInnesota.

For Treise (pronounced "Try-see"), the win, the first of his career, certainly solidified his lock on a Most Improved nomination and a prominent spot on Team MInnesota. RESULTS

CLC 24/7 DUATHLON - KEVIN MITCHELL, 49, of Sioux Falls, has been tearing up the tri scene in his native South Dakota. He has also rocked out here in Minnesota, collecting two wins, the second of which happened on Saturday in Fergus Falls at the unique CLC Duathlon.

The race is unique because instead of being run-bike-run, it is bike-run-bike. It's very bike-heavy (27 total miles with just 4 miles of running), which certainly appeals to the mulisporters of the upper Midwest, who can't get enough saddle time.

Mitchell does his best work on the bike, thus he was able to finish well ahead of the 57-finisher field, and more than six minutes in front of runner-up ROBBIE HALVORSON, 53, of Plymouth. Fellow masters--Fargo's JASON GLYNN, 40, and KURT DEVINE, 57, of Little Falls, took the next two spots.

After two straight 3rd place finishes here, Fergus Fallsian JESS KNUTSON, 38, came out on top in the women's competition, finishing 2:33 ahead of 2nd placer JENNIFER OLSON, 41, of Rice, and 6:18 in front of bronze medalist DEBBIE WELLMAN, 40, of Erhard.  RESULTS