Race Coverage

Tim, Diane, Nick & Kort....

Saturday, 18 September 2021 00:10

SQUARE LAKE TRIATHLONS - The 2020 male Performance of the Year was DAVID THOMPSON's 1:15:17 at Square Lake Sprint.That performance lowered the men's course record by 5:01. With 110+ career multisport victories, DKT is clearly Minnesota's all-time most talented and successful male triathlete. 

Last Sunday, TIM BONTRAGER came dang close to matching Thompson's mark. He raced unchallenged from splash to banner, crossing in 1:15:50. Coming within a minute of a DKT performance is a Big Deal.

The win was Tim's 5th in seven starts this season. 

Tim came into the race as the man to beat, and DIANE HANKEE had the same target on her back in the women's race. Like Tim, she won, though not quite as handily. Tim's margin of victory was 10:48, Diane's was 2:06, her 1:30:29 bettered only by her own 1:28:25, set in 2018. The win was the 41st of her multisport career.

Kona-bound JEN MARTONE (1:33:41) and plaid-wearing STEVE STENZEL (1:26:38), a podium finisher in four of his last seven multisport starts, were the event's silver medalists, with DILLON WILLIAMS (1:27:43) and GRACE WILSON (1:36:28) claiming the bronzes.

TIM BROWN, 62, 2020 Grand Master of the Year, rewrote the men's 60-64 course record and placed an impressive 4th overall. LUKE HARNED, celebrating his 69th birthday, took down his own divisional CR by more than seven minutes.

More than 230 athletes finished this 21-year-old race. 

The day before Square Lake Sprint, the Square Lake 70.3 took place. 2020 runner-up NICK WEILER improved his position by one spot this time around, posting the first long course triathlon victory of his career. By contrast, KORTNEY HAAG turned in her 11th half iron victory, her 2nd 70.3 W of the season, which positions her nicely when the Minnesota Multisport Honors committee selects it's nominees for both female Triathlete of the Year and Master of the Year. Kort's time was a goodie, her 4:48:47 landing her in 3rd place overall.

Approximately, 100 athletes crossed the finish line last Saturday.  RESULTS

Photo - Nick Weiler with wife Erin, herself an accomplished triathlete, and their son Jackson.