FEATURES
National Honorees....
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Monday, 05 December 2011 02:00
(Photo - Dan Hedgecock is being considered for USAT honors in two categories.)
By Norm DePlume
2011 USAT Athletes of the Year - In the very near future the USAT AOY Selection Committee will review the competitive resumes of just over 100 multisporters and determine which should receive post season honors. Minnesotans have always figured prominently in these deliberations and several have won national titles, or earned Honorable Mentions. Check this out:
- 2010 - Patrick Parish - AOY HM; Jenny Wilcox - Duathlete of the Year HM; Greg Taylor - Master of the Year HM.
- 2009 - Cathy Yndestad - Athlete of the Year; Kevin O'Connor - Duathlete of the Year
- 2008 - Brian Bich - Master of the Year; Cathy Yndestad - AOY HM.
- 2007 - Cathy Yndestad - AOY HM; Brian Bich - MOY HM...
- 2005 - Brian Bich - AOY HM
- 2004 - Becky Youngberg - AOY HM
- 2002 - David Thompson - AOY HM; Tony Schiller - Master of the Year & AOY HM
- 2000 - Jan Guenther - Master of the Year
- 1995 - Tony Schiller - Athlete of the Year; Tony Schiller - DOY HM
This list may not include all of Minnesota's honorees. Our memory is not what it used to be.
Will any Loon Staters be considered for 2011 awards or Honorable Mentions, you query?
Yes. Seven Minnesotans are on the Review List, and while it is unlikely that any of them will win their respective category's top prize, it's possible that most of them will receive Honorable Mentions. They are (in alpha order):
- BRIAN BICH - Considered for: Master of the Year. PREDICTION: Twenty-two names are being discussed, so Brian is a long-shot to garner an HM. However, the Committee is sure to be impressed with Bich's history-making effort at Nationals, where he placed 12th over (the highest placing ever by a 45-plusser) in 1:58. (He's the first 45-plus male to break 2-hours at Nationals.) Will it be 
enough? We hope so.
- BEN EWERS - Considered for: Grand Master of the Year. PREDICTION: Based on his AG win at Nationals and his silver medal effort at KONA, we feel Ben will receive a solid HM.
- SUZIE FOX - Considered for: Duathlete of the Year. PREDICTION: If five HMs are named, Suzie should be one of them. If, as has been the case in past years, only three HMs are selected, Fox may miss the cut.
- JAN GUENTHER - Considered for: Master of the Year. PREDICTION: HM only if the Committee names seven or more HMs. Based on talent, Jan is a slam dunk HM. Based on her resume, though, she is a marginal candidate. Her scorecard needed more participation in Nationally prestigious events.
- DANIEL HEDGECOCK - Considered for: Athlete of the Year & Duathlete of the Year (if USAT allows nominees with less than three performances). PREDICTION: HMs in both categories.
- MATTHEW PAYNE - (YndeCam Photo R) Considered for: Duathlete of the Year. PREDICTION: If more than three HMs are named, Matt will be honored.
- GREG TAYLOR - Considered for: Master of the Year. PREDICTION: Solid HM. His gold at Kona and silver at ITU Long Distance Worlds should guarantee it. (Okay, Greg is not really a Minnesotan any more. He moved to Yankton, SD earlier in 2011. He hasn't sold his home in Mankato yet, which, to us, means he's half-Minnesotan.)
