Race Previews
North Mankato Stuff...
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Saturday, 30 June 2012 02:30
North Mankato Preview - Between 200-225 athletes are expected to participate in the 15th annual North Mankato Triathlon on Sunday. This year's event will be produced by Final Stretch and will feature more "bells and whistles" than the race used to offer. The staging will be grander and the post-race amenities will be even more abundanter than in year's past.
Like what?
Steak burgers! That's what. We can't say for sure it there will be steak burgers, but that is the kind of stuff that FSI offers after all their races. Some folks do their events for the food....
Dylanisms, Record Attendance & Bob Powers...
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Friday, 29 June 2012 02:30
Minneman Preview - One had to be impressed with the depth of last weekend's Lake Waconia Triathlon's field, the deepest of the Minnesota tri-season thus far....
The Deepest Field Thus Far...
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Saturday, 23 June 2012 02:30
(Photo - The women's race in 2011 was totally epic, with Becky Youngberg--backward ball cap--winning, Michelle Andres--#11, great hams--taking 2nd nine seconds later, and Heidi Keller-Miler--awesome quads--grabbing 3rd, another eight seconds back.)
Lake Waconia Preview - For the eight-year-and-counting life of the Best of the US Tri Series, the Lake Waconia Triathlon has been Minnesota's BOUS qualifying race. It has sent several podiumers to the Championship race over the years, and in 2011 two of our state's fastest guys--Matthew Payne and Patrick Parish--went 1-2 at the Gulf Shores, Alabama Champs. Here's Minnesota's Championship history:
- 2005 (Lake Winnipesaukee, NH) - 3rd - Brian Bich. 8th - Emily Deppe.
- 2006 (Lake Minnetonka, MN) - 6th - Cathy Yndestad. 9th - Brian Bich.
- 2007 (Cypress Gardens, FL) - 3rd - Cathy Yndestad. 15th - Jeremy Sartain....
Jack Sparrow & Habanero Diaphoresis...
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Thursday, 21 June 2012 02:30
Croixathlon VII Preview - Between 2006 and 2011, Sara Zimmermann-White, for whom it is difficult to fit her entire name on applications and credit card slips, didn't do any tris. She was busy making babies. Luke and Lucy. They're so dang cute!
Since most of Minnesota's multisport practitioners adopted the lifestyle after '06, few remember how talented Sara, a chronic smiler, was. Those who do remember her might recall that she has been a member of Team Minnesota on more than one occasion and that she was no stranger to the podium. Heck, she has even won a few races along the way, like Brewhouse back in 2000....
The Pride of the Med City....
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Saturday, 16 June 2012 02:30
(Great Matt Fulton - Minnefotamoments.com - Photo. Two of the three pics in this post are Matt's.)
RochesterFest Preview - The 5th edition of the RochesterFest Olympic and Sprint Triathlons is Sunday. It's always been a great event and we've no doubt that this year's races will be groovy, too.
Without further "ado," which feels like it should have two Os, doesn't it?, here are MTN's chronically untrustworthy predictions, starting with the sprint race.
- We predict that two-time RST champ Jesse Nelson will duke it out with 2012 Blaine winner Brandon Ordway for the title. Ordway's come a long way since last season, when he finished 17th here. He beat Jesse by one place at Oakdale and two spots at Falls Du. We think that trend will continue....
Old Blood, New Blood....
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Friday, 15 June 2012 02:30
(Photo - 2011 LMT winners Heidi Keller-Miler and Steve Sander with their really, really, really big trophies.)
Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Preview - This year's LMT, the ninth edition thereof, will feature a great blending of usual suspects and talented new kids. All but three of the race's past champions will be back. Missing will be Steve Sanders, who is recovering after some brutal surgerization, and Becky Youngberg, who has been pregnatized (again!) by her randy husband, Jack, and Sarah Mercer, who plans to be somewhere else doing something else on Saturday. The returnees are Brett Lovaas, with four wins and three other podiums, the event's most successful guy; two-time winners Jan Guenther and Heidi Keller-Miler, who is a Hoot!; and one-timers Tony Schiller, John Shelp and Sarah Foley....
