Race Previews
DKT Gunning For #10....
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Wednesday, 13 August 2014 00:10
17th Annual PIGMAN HALF - A victory for David Thompson (Cool YndeCam Photo L) next Sunday at Big Pig would be a milestone, marking the 10th time he has won our region's first half IM. It will also be his 19th career win at the 70.3 distance and the 93rd (!) first place finish in his multisport career.
Winning is not a foregone conclusion, though. He'll be facing fellow pro Adam Bohach from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Our records show that DKT has faced Bohach on several occasions and has yet to lose to him. Still, Adam will be a force to be reckoned with. He has raced in two halves this season, breaking 4-hours both times. And he placed 2nd (3:57:03) behind Thompson (3:54:17) at Pigman last year.
David is still our pick to win. He has rest--he hasn't raced in the two weeks leading up to Sunday's race--and muscle memory on his side.
Once again, our pick to win the amateur title is Kevin O'Connor, who set a masters CR (4:07:52) here in 2013. Like DKT, KO has creds and muscle memory in his corner.....
Minnesota's Premier Spectator Triathlon...
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Tuesday, 12 August 2014 00:10
(Photo - Triathlete/nurse/farmer Claire Bootsma is a three-time YWCA Women's Tri champion.)
7th Annual YWCA WOMEN'S TRIATHLON - This year's YWCA race promises to be the most competitive yet, and will undoubtedly have a major impact on MMA nominations. The favorite, of course, will be two-time USAT National Champion Heather Lendway, who is undefeated in 2014 and the clear frontrunner to win the US Athlete of the Year award. Records fall every time she races and her elephantine margins of victory are reminiscent of those of the 2006 ITU Amateur World Champion: A woman named Chrissie Wellington. You may have heard of her.
Wellington, of course, got her pro license in 2007 and went on to an undefeated record in Ironman races.
Claire Bootsma has won the YWCA Tri the last three years and owns the course record, a 1:07:25, set last year. We predict that HL will break 1:05. We also...
Live Online Nationals Coverage...
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Thursday, 07 August 2014 06:10
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Live coverage from the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be available for free at usatriathlon.org this weekend, marking the fourth consecutive year USA Triathlon has offered a live stream of its largest National Championships event.
A registered field of 5,700 of the nation’s top amateur triathletes will compete on Saturday, Aug. 9, in the Olympic-Distance National Championships, and on Sunday, Aug. 10, in the Sprint National Championships. Action from both events will be streamed live on usatriathlon.org beginning at 7:15 a.m. CT. The live stream on Saturday also includes the Milwaukee Super Sprint Series event, where 35 professional and junior elite triathletes compete in an incredibly fast and spectator-friendly event, completing two back-to-back swim-bike-run circuits. Saturday’s live stream will end at 3 p.m. CT, and the Sprint...
Nats & Nevis...
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Wednesday, 06 August 2014 00:10
USAT OLYMPIC NATIONALS - An unprecedented number of Minnesotans will be in Milwaukee this weekend and we think that a high percentage of them will earn Team USA berths. Of course, we believe that Heather Lendway (photo) will repeat as overall women's champion and keep her 2014 undefeated streak alive.
We also think that 2nd place will be earned by Wausau, Wisconsin's Dani Fischer, who because she has already raced on Minnesota soil four times this season, is eligible for MMA consideration and a place on Team Minnesota. Do you know Dani? She's a HOOT, and a very, very cool person.
As in 2013, we think that Matt Payne will be the highest placing male Minnesotan. He, in fact, comes into the race as one of the favorites to win the whole darn thing. His co-faves include three Coloradans, Steve Mantell, David Giandini and...
Green Lake XI Preve...
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Tuesday, 05 August 2014 04:10
11th Annual GREEN LAKE TRIATHLON - This terrific event is starting its second decade. We'd love to see record numbers on hand to be a part of the celebration....
G-Man Series Finale Stuff...Updated...
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Tuesday, 05 August 2014 00:10
4th Annual GRANITEMAN BIG LAKE - Despite the fact that it shares the weekend with three other popular Minnesota tris, and that an unprecedented number of our state's swim-bike-runners will be in Milwaukee for the USAT National Championships, Saturday's Big Lake Triathlon has managed to draw more than 400 entrants already, a number that should top out on the other side of 450 when registration closes.
This event is the third and final race of the Graniteman Tri Series and we believe that the Series titles will go to Larry Hosch and Brenna Zavadsky. Hosch, who won the Series as a rookie last year, appears to be a slam dunk to repeat, barring any mechanical problems, that is. Zavadsky is currently in 3rd place in the women's standings but the women who are ranked ahead of her, the Danielson sisters Greta and Paige, will probably be in Milwaukee next weekend. If that is the case, then Brenna needs only a solid performance to ascend to the #1 spot.
Hosch's resume is rampant with podium finishes, yet he has yet to record his first overall victory. That could change on Saturday, but he'll have to outrace Steve Sander (photo L) to make it happen. These guys have never faced each other...
