Race Coverage

CR for Sean. PR for Kadie...

Sunday, 08 September 2024 00:10

Photo - Men's Top 3 - Soren Schwendeman (4:30:02), Sean Cooley (4:10:53) and Brandon Lee (4:18:13)

SQUARE LAKE 70.3 - In 2019, JOSH MORK won the Square Lake Half in course record time: 4:11:39. That performance earned him a Performance of the Year nomination. SEAN COOLEY kicked of his tri season, which he balances with his running and cycling seasons, with a 4:07 5th place finish at Ironman. 70.3 Des Moines. He followed that up with a 4:14 2nd place effort under brutal conditions (heat and wind) at Chisago. Earlier this week he decided to take on the Square Lake Half, our state's most challenging long course event, a race he won in 2023 in 4:23. His result placed him in the Performance and Triathlete of the Year conversations. Leading from the get-go he time-trialed his way to a new course record 4:10:53.

Wait a minute! Didn't Wisconsin's PATRICK ALLAIRE's 4:10:59 in 2020 steal the CR from Mork? Nope. The swim was shortened to a half-mile that year. 

And while Sean's performance can be called a runaway, let's not discount BRANDON LEE's 2nd-placing 4:18:13,  a Masters Record, and whch lowered his 70.3 personal best by more than five minutes. Lee appears to be a shoo-in for a Master of the Year nomination....

And speaking of personal bests, 2023 Master of the Year nominee KADIE HOKANSON sliced more than three minutes off her PR, her 5:06:05 giving her plenty of time to catch her breath before fellow podiummates CHELSEA HINRICHS (5:24:07) and JULIA OPHEIM (5:24:45) crossed the finish line.

The race registered 141 athletes, of which 113 finished. It was another great day of and for racing at Square Lake. RESULTS

ED. Square Lake Short Course coverage will post on Tuesday afternoon.