Race Coverage
Brisk Racing...Updated...
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Sunday, 04 August 2024 00:10
2024 GREEN LAKE INTERMEDIATE PREVIEW - We are anticipating some brisk racing next Sunday at the 18th edition of the Green Lake Intermediate (.75 - 22 - 6) Triathlon. Defending champ COREY NYGAARD is returning. He's racing at a Team Minnesota level this season and, weather permitting, become the 13th man to break 1:50 here. He'll need that kind of time to repeat. He'll be facing JOE ADRIAENS, a legitimate sub-2-hour Olympic-distance racer. Will Joe have put his Covid symptoms behind him by race time? We're guessing he will.
UPDATE: Corey Nygaard collected his third W of the season this morning at Hoot Lake by a four-minute margin.
MERILEA OSTERLUND has two wins and a pair of 3rds in this race. Her PR here is 2:07. We're picking her to finish 2nd on Sunday behind KADIE HOKANSON, who is making her Green Lake debut. Kadie was nominated for Master of the Year last year and her times are even more impressive this season. A sub-2:04 would be one of this race's Top 10 fastest women's times ever. We think that Kadie is ready to throw down that kind of performance.
AG Prediction: We believe the husband/wife team of JEFF GILMER, 65, and MARY DEEG, 62, will rewrite their respective divisional records. Jeff already owns the 60-64M mark. Jeff will need to better 2:19:07, which we believe is very doable. Mary need a sub-2:30:34. A lot to ask? Sure....
2024 GREEN LAKE SPRINT PREVIEW - The current women's Sprint course best is in serious jeopardy. In fact, we thnk it will be blown o ut of the water on Sunday by the current frontrunner for this season's female Triathlete of the Year, ELENA JASPER. Susie Olson's 1:06:40 has stood since 2011. We think Elena, who has three wins in five starts this season, will take a 2-3 minute bite out of Susie's mark.
Who are the men who will battle for first place in the Sprint? KEVIN MITCHELL, winner in 2023 and 2022, is returning, as is SEAN PICKLE, who placed 4th here last season. Based on last year's splits, Pickle has the slick edge in the water and afoot, whereas Mitchell is the faster cyclist. Is Sean 44-seconds faster this year than last? He could be. We believe that the margin of victory for whoever comes out on top will be slim.
UPDATE: Sean Pickle placed 3rd this morning at Hoot Lake, his 4th podium finish in five starts this season.
Will any AG records be threatened? We think Elena Jasper's father, CHCUK HENGEL, will take a serious run at Jim Graif's 60-64M AGR. Chuck is underfeated in divisional racing this year, and has rewitten at least one record (Clearwater Sprint). Jim's record (1:06:27) is stout, having stood since 2018. It's been unchallenged since then, that is, until this year.
