Race Coverage
Sprint Nationals & Green Lake...
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Tuesday, 15 August 2017 19:10
SPRINT NATIONALS - Here are the Minnesotans that cracked the Top 100 at last Sunday's Sprint Nationals. We had hoped to provide Team USA info, but the results we consulted didn't include complete AG lists, just Olympic/Sprint combo standings.
Top 100 Women:
47. KRISTINA SWENSON (Rogers) - 1:14:04
66. ISABELLA BUENTING, 14 (Chanhassen) - 1:15:36 (photo)
80. LAURA SWARTZ (St. Louis Park) - 1:16:23
95. PAULINE AAMODT (St. Paul) - 1:17:13
Top 100 Men:
13. WADE CRUSER (Sauk Rapids) - 1:02:45
GREEN LAKE TRIATHLON - Sometimes great races are contested on yucky days. Was it really a yucky day on Sunday at Green Lake? Not totally, but kinda. The air was chilly and grey. And rain fell off and on, mostly on. Sometimes it rained like a banshee.
In the Olympic race, JORDAN ROBY and SHEENA DAUER did what they did in 2016, and what Sheena had also done in 2015, as well. They won convincingly. Their times were somewhat slower than expected, of course, but it was not only because of the weather. The run course was longer this year: 6.77, instead of 6.0.
Minnesotans Impress in Omaha...
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Monday, 14 August 2017 23:10
2017 USAT AGE GROUP NATIONALS - Here's how Minnesotans fared at Nationals last weekend:
OLYMPIC -
Top 100 Overall: Women
5. GABY BUNTEN (Forest Lake) - 2:14:15
7. MADELEINE PESCH (St. Cloud) - 2:14:44
30. ELAINE NELSON (Duluth) - 2:21:27
48. MAGGIE WEISS (Wayzata) - 2:23:32
67. ERIN FARRENS (Maple Grove) - 2:25:53
85. LINDSEY MARSHALL (St. Paul) - 2:27:42
Top 100 Overall: Men
23. WADE CRUSER (Sauk Rapids) - 2:03:45
26. SAMUEL HAUCK (Rochester) - 2:04:31
38. KRIS SPOTH (St. Paul) - 2:05:26
44. JOSH BLANKENHEIM (Duluth) - 2:05:52
Minnesotans Earning Spots on Team USA: Women
- SOPHIE RABINO (Woodbury) - 11th - 17-19 ...
YWCA & Northwoods Stuff....
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Sunday, 13 August 2017 23:10
Pro Stars (L-R) - Heather Lendway, Leanda Cave, Haley Chura, Ruth Brennan Morrey.
YWCA WOMEN'S TRIATHLON - CHRISTINA ROBERTS won the amateur title at this iconic event for the 3rd staright year yesterday, and she did so convincingly. Her margin over amateur runner-up SUZIE FOX, was 2:01, and 2:10 better than bronze medalist DIANE HANKEE, 40, whose 1:11:22 was a masters record.
For Roberts, it was her 4th victory in seven starts this season. Her career win total is now 16.
The pro race wasn't as close as many anticipated, as HALEY CHURA rocked all three splits en route to her 3:30 win over three-time YWCA winner HEATHER LENDWAY. Chura's 1:03:37 did not rewrite HL's CR, a 1:03:16 set in 2014. ...
"I Had Some Wood to Chop"....
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Saturday, 12 August 2017 23:10
By Joe Adriaens (triad.triadriaens.com)
HEART OF THE LAKES RACE REPORT - Heart of the Lakes Triathlon is one of those must-do races. The venue, volunteers, course marshals, and announcers are all top notch. This is a pretty special race for me as it was my first triathlon ever as well as the race I asked Emma to marry me at back in 2012 :)
With that being said, fast forward 5 years to this year's race...
Leading up to the Race
This was my first official race that I would be doing as an amateur elite. Coming off a pretty successful race at Madison 70.3, my spirits and aspirations for this race were pretty high.
The build up for this race was typical of other races this season, a lot tempo runs and interval rides. My fitness leading up to HOLT was the best it has been all year, so I was feeling pretty good.
As this race is a modified Olympic, the strategy was simple: swim my arms off, bike my glutes off, and hang on for the run....
Women Rock at Island Lake...
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Tuesday, 08 August 2017 09:10
BREWHOUSE SPRINT - Sunday's BH Sprint featured what may have been it's deepest women's field ever. The race was super-exciting, as past champions LISA LENDWAY and course-record holder BETTINA KEPPERS were just steps apart at the beginning of the run. Not far back was rockin' 52-year-old CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN, who goes into next weekend's Nationals with an overall podium, and the confidence it elicits, in her pocket....
Hometown Champions...
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Monday, 07 August 2017 19:10
BREWHOUSE TRIATHLON - The 31st edition of this classic race, its fifth at its majestic Island Lake home, was as spectacular as the weather that made for excellent racing conditions for the 400ish participants. Adding to the excitement was a cool race within the race, pitting college teams from UM, Wisconsin - Madison, Iowa and Iowa State against each other, and an expected plethora of old and new friends from north of the border, many of whom returned to Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, Winnipeg etc. with AG awards.
Pre-race faves in the Olympic race, JOSH BLANKENHEIM, who has an awesome girlfriend named Larissa, and a black lab named Winston, and ELAINE NELSON (photo), whose two beautiful children were being attended to by her in-laws, lived up to expectations. Both grabbed the lead during the bike portion and never looked back. Perhaps they were worried about the pursuing collegians because they never let up, turning in fine times and wide margins of victory.
For Blank and Nelson, it was their 2nd BH win. Joshie--he hates to be called that!--also won in 2016; Elaine was victorious here in 2014. With her 2:12:32, Nelson now owns two of the Top three women's times since BH relocated to Island Lake.
With his 2:00:32, Blank now owns four of the event's seven quickest amateur men's clockings. His win comes on the heels of three straight 2nd place performances in major regional events. ....
