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More Name-Dropping - Male Masters...
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Saturday, 05 October 2024 00:10
By Garfunkel
In 2024, several men aged 40-59 (the “masters” category) rocked and will undoubtedly leap onto, or remain on, Team Minnesota. Before announcing Team MN and narrowing the field down to 3 official nominees for male Master of the Year, here are the highlights of the guys who caught our eye this year.
Dan Arlandson, 47, Burnsville:
Dan races exclusively 70.3s, and we’d love to see him hop into some competitive local short course races like Buffalo or Maple Grove. Nonetheless, he excels in the half distance, breaking 4:30 on 3 occasions this season.
Josh Blankenheim, 43, Duluth:
Josh has been the Northland’s numero uno for a while now, and this year he continued to show why. Three wins, 2 masters records, and a second behind Spencer Syvertson at Brewhouse olympic (who he edged-out a few weeks later at Lakes Country sprint)....
Transition Practice & a New Bike...
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Thursday, 03 October 2024 00:10
ED. Tiffany Kari Cizmas sent us these words about her return to triathlon and her likely nomination for 2024 Master of the Year:
So here’s my secret as yes I’ve been out of the scene for some time!
After focusing on the marathon for many years I’ve found I really love triathlon and so missed the community! I started mountain bike racing last year and was shocked to find out how much it helped my overall bike fitness! With worlds going so well last year I decided to start working on my swim & bike more. Joined a masters program on Oct 2023. Dropped about 3 minutes off my time. Kept on mountain biking. Did more races this year. Upgraded my 2010 Tri bike (new bike a month ago). Practiced transitions for the first time....
Name-Dropping: 2024 Juniors...
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Tuesday, 01 October 2024 00:10
By Garfunkel
In the coming weeks, the Minnesota Multisport Honors (MMH) Committee, this year comprised of Simon & Garfunkel (me), will release official nominees for end-of-season honors. For now, here are some of the junior athletes (aged 19 and under) that impressed us with their racing in 2024.
Adeline Althaus-Kotila, 14, Minneapolis:
At only 14 years old, Adeline claimed the second podium step at Lake Rebecca sprint. She raced 3 additional times, placing in the top-10 overall each time. With a very strong swim and solid run speed, we hope to see her trajectory keep rising in the coming years...
More Breakouts - Sort of....
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Saturday, 28 September 2024 00:10
KAITSY BAKER, 24, Plymouth - Can rookies have a breakout season? Sort of. Most rookies fly under the radar because they need a year or more to learn the sport. In Kaitsy's case, her success was visible and immediate: a top 5 finish at Clearwater Sprint. She followed that with another Top 5 (Northwoods), where she outraced some established successful triathletes. She finished her debut season with an 8th at Maple Grove Sprint, where once again her bike and run splits were encouraging. If she spends a lot of time in the pool in the off-season, her competitive trajectory could land her on Team MInnesota in a year or two....
Breakouts! The Guys...
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Thursday, 26 September 2024 00:10
NICK JASMER, 32, Menagha - Nick's come a long way in a short time. Six MN races, six top fives, three of which were podiums. His trajectory reminds us of Brandon Lee's.
NATHAN KIM, 22, Minneapolis - He's a MN guy now and we couldn't be happier. He kicked off his season with solid results, then finished with star-level performances. His progression in 70.3s (three straight PRs) has been meteoric, and his close 2nd at Maple Grove Olympic (1:52:50) tells us he is flirting with a Triathlete of the Year nomination.
BRANDON LEE, 42, Lino Lakes - Two wins, two 2nd at a 4:18 PR at Square Lake make him a shoo-in. for a Master of the Year nomination.
TEVIN NEEGAARD, 25, Maple Grove (photo) - Off the radar in 2023, Tevin excelled at Sprint, Olympic and especially 70.3 this year. His 4:40 personal best at Madison 70.3 last year, has been improved to 4:13:13 at the same race this season. Very likely Most Improved nominee....
