Race Coverage
Stellar Performances at Buffalo Sprint...
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Friday, 02 February 2024 00:10
Photo - Meghan and Mark Henry. Mark placed 3rd in the men's race. Meghan took 6th in the women's.
2023 BUFFALO SPRINT COVERAGE - Race morning was warm and a tad humid, but that didn't slow things down. Indeed, yesterday's Buffalo Sprint was one of the fastest ever, as seven age group records were rewritten and several others were flirted with.
But let's start with what unfolded at the front of the race, starting with the men's competition. Pre-race favorite PRESTON YOUNGDAHL was a no-show, meaning that the men who would battle for 2nd were now battling for first. On paper those men were BRIAN STORHAUG, a two-time runn-up here, and elite master THAD INGERSOLL. Having started in an earlier wave, ...
Storhaug had to wait several minutes before Ingersoll arrived. It was then that he learned that he had won the race by a narrow 10-second margin. He and Thad had nearly identical splits in the first two phases, during which Thad managed to pick up time in transitions. The run was where the race was won for Storhaug,
The race for first in the women's competition came down to a predictable battle between rising star ELENA HENGEL and four-time Buff Sprint winner CHERYL ZITUR. Cheryl had a brilliant race, turning in one of the five fastest times in the eight-years this course has been in place. It also shattered her own 55-59 age group record by 47-seconds. But it wasn't enough to win.
Like Storhaug, early wave Hengel wouldn't know for sure that she had wo
n until later wave challenger--Zitur--crossed the finish line, though she had every reason to be optimistic. Her time --1:04:09--was the second fastest in course history. It appeared to be unchallengeable, and it was.
The final podium spot for both men and women were earned by MARK HENRY and MACY IYER. Henry's 3rd place require a superior bike split to keep sophomore triathlete SEAN PICKLE off the podium. Only nineteen seconds separated these two athletes. Pickle, 18, was nonetheless thrilled with his performance, as he certainly should be. His 1:03:32 was only nineteen seconds off the 2019 junior course record set by KYLE SWENSON, who is arguably Minnesota's most talented male teen triathlete of this century.
Like Swenson, Iyer flirted with a junior course record, her 1:08:44 was only fourteen seconds behind ISABELLA BUENTING's junior CR. Buenting, like Swenson, has been the junior gold standard in our state.
Here are the seven Age Group records that were set yesterday:
- 50-54M - THAD INGERSOLL - 1:00:38 (Old Record - 1:01:30 - 2017)
- 55-59W - CHERYL ZITUR - 1:06:07 (Old record - 1:06:54 - 2022)
- 60-64M - TIM BROWN - 1:04:47 (Old Record - 1:07:44 - 2017)
- 60-64W - LISA HINES - 1:16:13 - Old Record - 1:21:46 - 2016)
- 70-74M - LUKE HARNED (Photo R - the guy with the good hair) - 1:17:21 - Old Record - 1:19:38 - 2019)
- 70-74W - PAM STEVENS - 1:22:34 - Old Record - 1:43:13)
- 75-79W - NANCY BAUER - 1:43:30
Two hundred and thirty-three of 371 registrants participated in the 18-year-old Buffalo Sprint. Buffalo Olympic coverage will post on Wenesday morning.
