Race Previews
Brandon & Cami...
-
Thursday, 15 August 2024 00:10
YOUNG LIFE TRIATHLON PREVIEW - The 21st edition of the Young Life Olympic & Sprint Triathlons will happen this Saturday (8/17) on the scenic northern shoreline of Detroit Lake in, appropriately, Detroit Lakes. Though online registration has closed, 10 race-day walk-ups will be allowed. 294 athletes are currently enrolled in the traditional triathlons, with another 29 registered in the paddle tris....
Due to road construction, the sprint bike course has been shortened by one half mile, and the Olympic will be shortened to 23.8 miles, thus no official course records can be established on Saturday.
Looking at the winning times over the last ten years, which ranged from 1:58 to 2:13 for the men in the Olympic race, which a typical winning time hovering around 2:10, and 2:20 for the women, with 2:11 being the course best. What this suggests is that the fastest guys, weather permitting, should finish in the 2:06-07 range and the top women should come in around the 2:17 mark.
But we think the men's winning time is likely to be closer to 2-hours flat, perhaps even a shade under, because BRANDON LEE is returning. He won this race in 2022 in one of the event's quicker times –2:04—and he is faster this year than back then. His 2024 resume--1st at Clearwater Sprint, 2nd at Manitou Olympic and 5th at Chisago 70.3—support our assessment.
Brandon should be challenged by NICK JASMER, who is enjoying a breakout season. The final step on the men's podium will be fought over by three-time winner DAVID LEWIS (photo R), Detroit Lake's own ANDREW MOEN and North Dakotan BRETT WINKLEMAN, who turned in an impressive effort (4th) at Green Lake Olypmic last Sunday.
On paper there is a clear favorite in the women's Olympic race. It's KADIE HOKANSON. With two-wins and a 2nd already this season, she might be looking at her second straight Master of the Year nomination at season's end.
Men's times in the Sprint race should be a little more than a minute faster than typical, with the winning time range over the last 10-years being in the 1-hour range (56 – 1:04). Our pick to prevail is teen star SEAN PICKLE, who set a Junior course record in a victorious effort at Green Lake Sprint last weekend.
We don't think that Sean's greatest challenge will come from within his gender. Local elite CAMI ECKHOFF is at the top of her game right now, and we'd be surprised if she didn't finish in 2nd place overall. Her performance at Northwoods last week was stellar, possibly worthy of a Female Performance of the Year nomination. She's got the women's Sprint record here (1:05:47), thus with the shortened bike route and her significant improvement since 2021, when she set that record, we see her rocking a 1:01 – 1:02 on Saturday.
