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Northwoods Turns 15....
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Thursday, 10 August 2017 09:10
NORTHWOODS TRIATHLON - BROOKS GROSSINGER made history here last year. He won the race for the 12th time in the event's fourteen-year history. By doing so, he broke a tie for most wins at a single Minnesota race with TONY SCHILLER, who had won the Lake Waconia Triathlon on eleven occasions.
Grossinger will be going for victory #13 on Saturday, and there is no reason to think he won't get it. Not only does he own nine of the ten fastest times here, all of them under the one-hour mark, he's racing like a banshee this year. His resume features a win (Waseca) and four 2nd place finishes. Now 40, Brooks is the current frontrunner for the Master of the Year award.
Will he keep his string of sub-1 hour clocking alive? Barring injury or mechanical issues, sure he will.
His closest challenger on Saturday should be local star DAVID LEWIS, who is also racing well this season. He has finished 2nd here on four occasions.
As in 2016, we think that a time in the 1:14 range should win the women's race. That was what MATA AGRE posted in 2016, and she hopes to defend....
YWCA's Aluminum Anniversary...
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Wednesday, 09 August 2017 19:10
Photo - The Lendways, Heather & Lisa
YWCA WOMEN'S TRIATHLON - This iconic experience will celebrate its landmark 10th ananiversary (Aluminum) on Sunday. With 1500ish participants, it will probably be our state's largest multisport event of the year.
It will not only be a large race, it will be more competitive than ever. There will be twelve athletes in the Elite Wave, led by pros HEATHER LENDWAY, a two-time champ and course rcord holder, and HALEY CHURA, former USAT National Champion and one of America's premier long distance triathletes (IM PR - 8:56, half IM PR - 4:10ish). We're sure that these two stars will better the 1:03:16 that HL set in 2014.
CHRISTINA ROBERTS amateur CR is also in jeopardy, and yes, we think that Christina will take it down a notch. She'll be challenged by LISA LENDWAY, who was victorious last weekend at Brewhouse Sprint, and like Christina, has broken 1:10 twice here. (No other amateurs had cracked that time.)
Does this mean that we're picking Roberts and LL to go 1-2 in the amateur race? Not necessarily. Sure, it could happen, but DIANE HANKEE may be more fit right now than Lisa. She (Diane) has also turned 40 this year, so we're predicting that ANN SNUGGERUD's masters record (1:13:16 - 2014) will go down...
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. ....
July '17 Athletes of the Month...
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Sunday, 06 August 2017 09:10
MTN / EXCELSIOR RUNNING JULY ATHLETES OF THE MONTH - To be eligible, athletes must have turned in at least TWO outstanding performances during the month in question.
MALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - SEAN COOLEY, 31, St. Paul (photo L)
- A slam dunk selection, Sean was dominant at Heart of the Lakes and Chisago Half. HM - NATHAN ANSBAUGH, 30, Minneapolis
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE MONTH - Tie - KORTNEY HAAG, 38, Maple Grove (photo L) & CHRISTINA ROBERTS, 31, St. Louis Park (photo below)
- Hours of thought and argument couldn't separate these two stars. Kort set a CR at Graniteman-Clearwater, then popped a 2nd place 4:39 at Chisago Half. Sub-4:40s are a really big deal. Roberts was victorious on back-to-back weekends at Timberman and Heart of the Lakes...
