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Cami, Elena & Vanessa...
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Tuesday, 28 March 2023 00:10
If the MMH Committee decides to name nominees and winners this year, Matt and Damon will favor what they consider three slam-dunk candidates for Most Improved female triathlete. After having studied the resumes of at least a dozen athletes, these are the trio, in alpha order, that they recommend most highly:
CAMI ECKHOFF, 35, Detroit Lakes (photo below) - Runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2021, Cami's speed and competitiveness improved dramatically this season. Her course record win at Alexandria, and her victory at Young Life Sprint are good example of those things. She placed 2nd overall at both races. Granted, those are not super competitive events, but she threw down the kind of fast times that established amateur elites would be proud of. At Alex, she lowered the women's course record by 4:23.
But it was her 2nd place performance at Square Lake Half that sealed the deal for her. Arguably the most challenging 70.3 in our region, she posted a 4:54:16, and sub-5s are rare on that course. The time bettered her personal best at the distance by 16-minutes....
Luke, Daniel, Craig, Thomas & Jeffrey...
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Saturday, 25 March 2023 00:10
Today, Matt and Damon are looking at the 2022 resumes of our state's Grand Masters, i.e. men age 60-and-up, women age 55-and-up. They are looking for AG wins and records, understanding of course, that not all records are equal. A divisional record at older and typically more competitive races--Apple, Buffalo, Chisago, Maple Grove, for instance--are more "attention-grabbing" than at a small and/or younger race. Still, the smaller races sometime produce very fast AG times and Matt and Damon do not want to overlook or discount those efforts.
In needs to be mentioned that GM athletes are measured against some very high standards. World class age group athletes like TONY SCHILLER and JAN GUENTHER have garnered most of the GMOY titles recently, doing so on the heels of their talented predecessors --NEIL KING, GREG TAYLOR, BEN EWERS and PAM STEVENS.
High standards, indeed.
Here, in alpha order, are some of the men that are currently in the GMOY nomination discussion: ...
"Your Body Can do a Lot More Than You Think it Can"...
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Wednesday, 22 March 2023 00:10
By Evan Michealson (saukrapidsherald.com)
Amy Woolsey was looking for a new challenge when she participated in the Chain of Lakes Sprint Triathlon in Alexandria in 2002. When she completed the race, she not only discovered an additional way of testing herself, but also a sense of purpose....
Juniors Kick Butts at Maple Grove Sprint...
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Monday, 20 March 2023 00:10
MAPLE GROVE SPRINT COVERAGE - Six-time MGS winner CHERYL ZITUR posted her fastest time ever on the Weaver Lake course last Saturday, breaking her former course record by eight seconds. That stellar effort, however, landed her in 3rd place.
Finishing in the second spot was shoo-in Most Improved nominee ELENA HENGEL, whose impressive 1:05:37 was 39-seconds quicker than Zitur's time, and only five seconds behind the winner, 19-year-old GRACE BUSCH, whose course record, coupled with her win at Fairmont and 2nd at Turtleman, make her one of two frontrunners for 2022 female Junior of the Year alongside two-time JOY BELLA BUENTING....
The Off Season is Overrated...
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Saturday, 18 March 2023 00:10
By Tim Brown
Can we all agree that winter is too long and the tri season is far too short up here in the tundra?
Given that this was one of those magic years in which I transitioned from oldest to youngest in my age group, I decided to ditch the off season. This race season started with a trip down to Miami / Homestead Florida for the Clash 70.3 Triathlon. Clash Events (clashendurance.com) are held at some of the country’s most notable motor speedways. Clash Miami offers a professional triathlon race, sprint tri, bike relay, and half iron triathlon races. I signed up for the 70.3 held on Sunday, March 12th....
