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Why Hanna? Why Jesson?
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Thursday, 01 November 2018 23:10
MINNESOTA MULTISPORT HONORS - We have already discussed the slam-dunkiness of the selections of HEATHER TAYLOR for Rookie of the Year, BECKY YOUNGBERG for female Master of the Year and TED TREISE for male Most Improved.
Let's add another: HANNA GRINAKER for Long Distance Athlete of the Year.
Though her fellow nominees--SEAN COOLEY and TED TREISE--turned in multiple impressive long course efforts, Hanna's resume was almost perfect. She raced in three half IMs, winning each time in sub-4:30, or equivalent, clockings (Liberty's course was abbreviated & Superior Man's swim was long), and made her IM debut at Wisonsin, where she placed 2nd in 10:08:33, the fastest first-time 140.6 ever by a Minnesota female amateur.
Every one of Hanna's long distance performances were worthy of a POY nomination, indeed every race she entered last season produced a POY nomination-worthy result. ...
Tattoo Boy's Journey....
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Wednesday, 31 October 2018 23:10
By MedCityBeat.com (Oct.22, 2018)
Among the brilliant neon tones of running shoes and technical outerwear at TerraLoco in Rochester, there’s another bright spot: Team USA triathlete, 36 year-old Michael Karau.
Just a few short years ago, though, you’d have been hard-pressed to get him into a shop like this.
“I thought athletes were silly,” explains Karau. “I thought, ‘They wear bright stuff, they look like goofballs, they’re wearing spandex. Who would want to do that?’”
“At that point in my life, I wasn’t really taking care of myself the best. I was using drugs, drinking a lot of energy drinks, drinking a lot of alcohol, just making a lot of bad decisions.” ...
Embracing Setbacks...
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Tuesday, 30 October 2018 23:10
By Bonnie Gagnon
“Can I touch it?” I asked my friend Adam. I had never seen a prosthetic leg this up-close and I was genuinely curious as to what it felt like.
“Absolutely,” he beamed.
Then he took off his leg and handed it to me.
I met Adam Warden in 2009 when we were racing triathlons. By 2012 both of us had jetted off in every direction that outdoor activities could take us. Adam has always been passionate about adventure. So passionate that on October 14th he competed in the Paratriathlon Word Cup. He kicks my butt.
The prosthetic leg was lighter than I thought it would be – it was made of carbon fiber and built to last. He also has a Blade for when he runs and races - he pulled it out of his car and let me check it out as well. Crazy impressive technology.
It was almost surreal seeing Adam standing there in my living room. He was fit, smiling ear to ear and exuded a confidence that was deeper than ever. I asked him for his autograph which elicited a hearty laugh and a bear hug. In July of 2016, Adam underwent amputation surgery due to what he calls a tree allergy – “Allergic to having them fall on me!” On June 23, 2013 he had initially undergone surgery after a tree fell on him, breaking his back, several ribs and nearly amputating his left foot. The doctors...
Why Emily?
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Monday, 29 October 2018 23:10
MINNESOTA MULTISPORT HONORS – Last Friday we explained why TED TREISE was named Most Improved Male, noting that his 2ndplace finish at Superior Man allowed him to overtake early season MI frontrunner JOSH MORK. Then Ted's stunning POY-nominated victory at Augusta 70.3 further sealed the deal.
Determining the women's MI honor was not as easy. Not by a long shot. That was because a strong case could be made for each of the five nominees.
Let's break it down.
BETTINA KEPPERS - What ultimately may have hurt Keppers was the fact that she, while not receiving official nominations, had been part of the MI discussion for each of the last three years. At first glance, her 2018 resume, featuring two wins, two seconds and a third, looked a lot like her 2017 scorecard. Another glance revealed that she managed to set some PRs (Buzz Ryan, Timberman). In the end, though, her unofficial Team Minnesota ranking was 13th, basically matched her 2017 placement.
KRISTINA SWENSON – The former Minnesota Junior of the Year enjoyed an impressive start to the 2018 season—two seconds and two fourths against solid competition. Her time at High Cliff Olympic—2:09:56 on the difficult .5 – 22 – 7 mile route—caught our attention. However, she did not finish the season as strongly as she began it. Plus her unofficial rank of 18th was basically identical to her 2017 position....
Ted Wins Again!
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Saturday, 27 October 2018 23:20
TED TREISE did not set a 70.3 personal best yesterday in toasty Waco, Texas. But he might have, had the swim not been canceled. His 3:37:34 over the 69.1 mile distance put him more than two minutes ahead of rest of the men's amateur field. Had he gotten his pro card, which he will likely get in 2019, he would have finished 14th among the 23 professional men who went the distance.
