FEATURES

More National Recognition for Gaby?

Saturday, 04 January 2020 23:10

We believe that, according to typical USA Triathlon criteria, that at least four Minnesotans should receive post-season honors. Since most roads to recognition go through Age Group Nationals, we are fairly certain that, in our opinion, deserving athletes like Nationals-skippers Hanna Grinaker, Cathy Yndestad and Patrick Parish, will not receive recognition for their excellent triathlon resumes, though we believe that Parish will, once again, be honored for his duathlon excellence.

The four Minnesotans that we believe will receive honors are GABY BUNTEN, BECKY YOUNGBERG, PARISH and TONY SCHILLER.

Today, we will talk about Gaby, who we feel deserves an Open AOY Honorable Mention, a status she earned in 2018, and which came as a total surprise to the MTN and MMH guys. Because she had won AG Nationals and placed 2nd overall at Worlds, along with big wins at South Beach and Arizona 70.3, we thought she was a lock to win the AOY, an award given to Kirsten Sass of McKenzie, Tennessee. Gaby faced Sass twice in 2018 and beat her both times. Moreover, Sass had turned 40, making her a favorite in the MOY race, not the Open class....

So, why should Bunten grab another HM for her 2019 tri resume? Because there are typically five HMs, and we think that Bunten's Top 5 performances at both Olympic and Sprint Nationals, plus her 2nd place US finish at Lausanne Worlds, and major domestic victory at St. Anthony's will be perceived as sufficient to place her in that group.

Among those other women duking-it-out for the AOY are a pair of former Minnesotans, DANI FISCHER (from Rochester, now residing in suburban Indianapolis) and reigning Olympic Nationals champ RACHEL MENSCH (from Edina, now liiving in Madison, Wisconsin).

Dani would get our AOY vote.

Here are her 2019 Highlights:

DANI FISCHER (31, Greenfield, IN)

1st @ Michigan Titanium Half IM – 4:35:38 (Beat runner-up Jacqui Giuliano by 10:30!)
1st @ Muncie 70.3 – 4:27:31 (margin of victory – 8:56)
1st @ Madison 70.3 – 4:34:24 (margin – 12:12)
1st @ High Cliff Olympic (margin – 20:42)
2nd at USAT Olympic Nationals (12-seconds behind Rachel Mensch)
2nd overall @ USAT Sprint Nationals (28-seconds behind Gaby Broschard)