Race Coverage
Scheel Crushes, Woolsey Three-peats...
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Saturday, 05 May 2018 23:20
ED. Rose Evavold's coverage of the last Saturday's Chain of Lakes Triathlon for Alexandria's Echo Press is terrific. Check it out:
By Rose Evavold (echopress.com)
Since that first one in 2002, Woolsey has returned to Alexandria each May to compete in the event, which serves as a kickoff to the triathlon season for many participants.
It was an important part of the competitive schedule for Branden Scheel of Fargo, who defended his men's title and in the process broke the record time for the 17th annual event.
"I felt a lot stronger this year," said Scheel, whose winning time in 2017 of 56:35 was within a minute and a half of the course record set in 2012 by Marcus Stromberg. Knowing that, he launched himself into an aggressive training schedule that he said included thousands of miles on a bike and a training trip to Arizona....
The 22-year-old from Fargo is further pushed by another competitor who has become one of his closest friends, Corey Nygaard of South St. Paul. Nygaard, 23, finished second in 58:01. Scheel, who expects to graduate from North Dakota State University in December with a business administration degree, said the two plan to move to Boulder, Colorado, to train with some professionals there.
Sparking her interest
The Chain of Lakes triathlon begins with a 600-yard swim in an eight-lane, 25-yard pool at Discovery Middle School. That was what initially attracted Woolsey to Alexandria.
"I was a swimmer in high school, so I was very comfortable with the pool swim," she recalled.
Woolsey said it took her a few years to really dive into the triathlon scene. But in 2006, she did just that, competing in this one (called a sprint because of its shorter distances), an Olympic-distance triathlon, a half-Ironman and a full-Ironman in Madison, Wisconsin. READ MORE
