Race Coverage

Holden Wins Again! Sortland Surprises!

Tuesday, 18 June 2019 23:10

Photo - Talented teens Natasha Sortland and Noah Billings.

FAIRMONT TRIATHLON - Since 2013, DAVID HOLDEN has won at least 10 multisport races. During this period he had been nominated for Master of the Year several times. And 30% of those wins had been at Fairmont, with another three Ws recorded there between 2007 and 2012. Holden's only non-win at the FT was a close 2nd behind talented tri-rookie TOBY HENKELS in 2015. Only seven seconds separated those men.

And yes, Holden, now 50, won the Fairmont Olympic race last Saturday. His margin-of-victory was substantial--3:42--though not as thick as in most years. And his time was a very solid 2:04:45.

Placing 2nd was South Dakota teen LIAM REESE, with 3rd going to North Mankato's KYLE KRAUSE, whose 2:12:27 was eight-and-a-half minutes faster than his runner-up time here in 2018. 

Mankato's JULIE BUSCH, 45, winner of Fairmont's Sprint race in 2018, and Olympic runner-up here in 2017, led the women's field. Lakeville's JESSIE MEYER claimed the silver, with Sioux Falls' KAMMIE PETERSON filling out the women's podium....

Another Sioux Fallsian, KEVIN MITCHELL, 49, led the field in the sprint, picking up his third FST win in five attempts. He placed 2nd in both of his non-winning efforts. His 1:01:57  last Saturday put him 1:24 ahead of silver medalist JASON FISCHER of Rochester, who was coming off a 3rd place finish at Trinona Sprint the previous weekend, and 3:07 in front of rising teen star CARSON DEICHMAN, who took 3rd. Like Fischer, Deichman also rocked a great effort --4th overall / 1st Junior --at Trinona Sprint.

Fairmont Sprint's women's field was impressive, featuring South Dakotans TERESA VAN HYFTE, winner here in 2015, and AMY BLACKSTONE, as well as five-time FST champ STEPHANIE PETERSON, of Apple Valley.

Teresa and Steph took 2nd and 3rd respectively last Saturday. Climbing to the Top Step was 14-year-old NATASHA SORTLAND of Mazzeppa. Let's add her name to the large and growing list of Minnesota's outstanding teen triathletes.

One hundred and eight athletes finished this year's Fairmont multisport races.  RESULTS