Race Previews

Kadie, Vanessa & a Pair of Seans....Updated...

Wednesday, 04 September 2024 00:10

SQUARE LAKE TRIATHLON WEEKEND PREVIEW - The 24th edition of the Square Lake Sprint is happening next Sunday, and willbe preceeded the day before by the Square Lake 70.3, which will celebrate it's 23rd birthday. The events are scenic and challenging and the lake and rural environs are nothing short of spectacular. Square Lake is the kind of place that is hard to leave, and many who do these races return for training sessions....

Who can be expected to set the pace in Saturday's 70.3 this weekend? For the men, we think that JOE ADRIAENS is the guy to beat, but elite master BRANDON LEE will try to do just that. These guys would have faced each other at Chisago, where Lee cracked the Top five against a stellar field, but Adriaens had to scratch due to Covid. Both men are making their Square Lake debut, and on paper, Adriaens has the superior resume. His 70.3 personal best is 4:13. Lee's PR is 4:23, but he is relatively new to the sport and his growth curve has been meteoric. 

Another guy who has improved damatically over the last season or two is NICK JASMER. He'll be making his 70.3 debut on Saturday and should crack the Top 5 if his bike cooperates, i.e. remains intact and fully functional throughout the race.

Surprises? Sure. There always seems to be a Wisconsin or Iowa guy or two that will vy for the spots in the Top 5 - 10.

The women's favoriite? Based on her performance at Indian Wells (CA) 70.3 last year, plus the fact that she was nominated for Minnesota Master of the Year last year, and that she has won three of the four races she's done thus far in '24, we believe she will record the  first long course tri victory of her career on Saturday.

SQUARE LAKE SPRINT - Sunday's sprint race will feature a strong women's field. It won't be easy to land a spot on the overall women's podium. The Top Step? On paper, VANESSA NAGEL seems to be the best bet. Her 4th place finish at Maple Grove Olympic, which boasted the most talented women's field of the season two weeks ago tells us that she'll be the one to beat. The wild card here is TIFFANY KARI-CIZMAS, who appears to be a destined for a 2024 Master of the Year nomination. She could be a spoiler. 

BETTE ROWLEY, runner-up her in 2020, could fill out the podium.

The men's field is still evolving, meaning that we expect to see some later registrants race at the front of the pack. But based on the list we saw, SEAN PICKLE, last year's 2nd place finisher, can be expected to fiinish at or near the top. A win would be his fourth of the season.

Registration is still open:  RACE WEBSITE

UPDATE: There is a better than 50/50 chance that defending Square Lake 70.3 champ SEAN COOLEY will race on Saturday, which moves him solidly into the favorite role. A win would be his eighth career W at the 70.3 distance. Bolstering his favored status is his PR - 4:02, and the fact that he cracked the Top 5 at Des Moines a. few months back, turning in a 4:07:57, the fastest half IM time by a Minnesota triathlete this seasom.