Home
2021 TEAM MINNESOTA....
-
Monday, 22 November 2021 00:10
2021 TEAM MINNESOTA - MEN
Several years back, a prominent Minnesota triathlete suggested that Team Minnesota athletes should not be ranked. Instead, they should be listed alphabetically. Rankings can easily be misunderstood and often unnecesariy controversial because many of the spots are interchangeable, i.e. it is not uncommon for, say, the resumes of the 4th through seventh-ranked athletes to be quantitatively equal. For instance, should AJ MANNING be ranked ahead of HENRY JESSEN , or vice versa? Should Henry's outstanding Nationals performances outweigh AJ's regional wins and course records?
So, let's give the alphabetical format a try and see if that sticks. Remember, this list is based on competitive performances and consistency, not reputation or past history. Also note that the reduction in races, and other factors (life!, pandemics), have eliminated many of the elite "ususal suspects." Some chose not to race this season. Others raced less frequenty, thus they didn't meet minimum "volume" requirements (3 outstanding / competitive performances *). For those reasons, as in 2020, Team Minnesota will be comprised of five members, not 10. ...
GMOYs: Tony & Jan Again...
-
Saturday, 20 November 2021 00:10
TONY SCHILLER
MALE GRAND MASTER OF THE YEAR - Despite the depth of this year's field of nominees--2x GMOY Tim Brown, perennial nominee Luke Harned and 2x nominee Daniel Kirk--Tony was the unanimous choice. While the others performed at a national level, Tony consistently threw down world class performances. At 62, he consistently beats all of his 50+ peers. His back-to-back National Championship AG victories, both by substantial margins, sealed the deal. Both his Olympic (2:08:15) and Sprint (1:06:48) times are AG records at Milwaukee, which has hosted Nationals four times.
Tony has won at least 25 national championship titles in his career. He is a 10-time MMH recipient....
MMHs For Kyle, Bella, Kort & Brooks...
-
Thursday, 18 November 2021 00:10
KYLE SWENSON
JUNIOR OF THE YEAR - The slam-dunkiest of all the pics was this one. In his final year of JOY eligibility, Kyle collected his 2nd Top Teen honor. This time, though, he made history becoming the first junior male to be nominated in the AOY category. He is also the first junior, male or female, to have a POY nomination. This, plus his four wins and consistently fast times, suggest that Kyle is the most talented male junior that Minnesota has ever produced....
Two MMHs For David & Henry...
-
Tuesday, 16 November 2021 00:10
DAVID KOPPEL
.
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - A slam-dunk for the men's AOY, David was undefeated in five starts on Minnesota soil. He was our state's second fastest triathlete at Olympic Nationals in Milwaukee, finishing just five seconds behind our state's Rookie of the Year Henry Jessen. Koppel's amateur victory at Heart of the Lakes also received support for Performance of the Year. Once again, he was a close 2nd behind Jessen, whose great effort at Sprint Nationals took the POY.
MOST IMPROVED - As with Rachel Z, David was the clear pic for the #1 ranking on 2021 men's Team MInnesota. Five wins in six starts, plus wide margins of victory vaulted him all the way to the Top Spot on a team he'd never been named to in the past. His peers, however, were not surprised by his emergence...
Three MMHs For Rachel Z....
-
Sunday, 14 November 2021 00:10
RACHEL ZILINSKAS
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR - Rachel clearly established herself as our country's premier long distance amateur female triathlete in 2021. She was undefeated in four starts against US competition, winning by ridiculous margins each time. Her only loss, a 2nd-place finish at 70.3 Worlds by 1:13 to decorated German triathlete Danielle Kleiser. Zilinskas richly deserves to be one of the frontrunners for US Athlete of the Year.
FYI - Earlier this month she made her pro debut at Ironman Florida, placing an impressive 8th woman overall in a PR-9:35:04. Proving her pro-readiness, Rachel outraced the fastest amateur womanthere by 33:53.
It needs to be noted that Jenna Horner also received some AOY support, her advocates citing versatility--she excelled in long course, Olympic and sprint races--while Zilinskas concentrated on long distance, and the claim that she raced against deeper fields (Age Group and Collegiate Nationals). In the end, winning and overwhelming margins of victory sealed the deal for Rachel....
