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Friday, 27 July 2012 02:10

PAUL BUNYAN TRIATHLON - Minnesotan Ryan Welle and Canadian Lori Green were their gender's winners at last weekend's 4th annual Paul Bunyan Long Course Triathlon. LC RESULTS It's companion sprint, which celebrated it's 5th anniversary, was won by David Gurney and Marie Moeckel (photo), a dentist in Moorhead who loves Meatloaf, the singer, not the hamburger thing, and "would do anything for love, but I won't do that." Of course, she has nice teeth and flosses regularly. SPRINT RESULTS

CHASE THE POLICE III MINI-PREVIEW- The women's field will be deeper than ever this year, despite the absence of 2011 Minnesota Triathlete of the Year nominee, Michelle Andres (pronounced "Ann'-drees"), who won last year and totally chicked all but three of the 325ish finishers. She does that kind of stuff a lot....

Six of last year's Top 10 girls are returning, including 2010 winner / 2011 runner-up Leanne Bronson, who is a Hoot and racing better than ever right now. The other estrogenic recidivists are Marey Erickson (5th in 2011), who collected her first tri win at Graniteman-Clearwater two weeks ago and sometimes let's handsome guys lick her face when she's had too many brews (photo R); Jamie Heying (3rd in 2011), who like Bronson, is a Hoot, and is also having a tremendous, potentially Master of the Year nomination season; Shannon Haglin (4th in 2011 and 2010), who placed 2nd at Graniteman-St. Cloud on June 24 and has five kids; Christine Mitchell (8th in 2011), who rocked a Top 15 at Liberty Half in early June (She's probably a Hoot, but we don't know for sure); and Jennifer Mortale (10th in 2011), who's very pretty, owns several very attractive swimsuits and has a totally large and cool boyfriend who takes her to exotic places.

The women's favorite, however, has to be Jenny Wilcox, who picked up two MMAs (Duathlete of the Year and Most Improved) in 2010, a season during which she won 10 multisport races. Jenny, who is a totally lovely human being, had wanted to take this year off (from tris / dus) and only do a few road races. But she couldn't stay away. She's only raced once thus far this season, at Minneman. She placed 2nd there, less than a second behind Russian expatriate Lydia Novotny, a total sweetheart who claims that she doesn't like borscht or vodka, and only eats cabbage on a semi-regular basis.

Men's fave on Saturday? Lot's of solid guys enrolled but only one name jumps off the reg list page like a Leaping Lord from the "12 Days of Christmas:" Sean Kaneski.

Once one of our region's elite-est dudes, the thick-thighed Kaneski left the tri scene in 2003, shortly after his rock star effort at Ironman Wisconsin (9:46 / 5th amateur / 12th overall). He returned last June and cracked the Top 5 at Liberty Half. His motivation to excel at CPT will be elevated by the fact that he'll be racing as a memorial to his recently deceased Stepfather.

As ever, the law-enforcers and protectors and servers will go in the first wave, allowing the non-peacekeeping portion of the field to pursue them. Most will catch the cops, who are professional chasers, not chasees.

Approximately 400 athletes are expected to participate in scenic Walker on Saturday. RACE WEBSITE

CONGRATS - The MTN Guys congratulate fun-loving White Bear Lake triathlete Chris Sachs on his awesome 2nd place finish at the Door County Sprint last weekend. Winonan Rita Miller placed 8th in the women's sprint.

Twin Citizen Ananda Bates, owner of the "Best Dreads in Triathlon," cracked the Top 10 at Sunday's Door County Half (9th - 4:36:33). Top 25 efforts (in their respective genders) at the DC-1/2 were also turned in by The Moyers--Joe and Ann--of Rochester. Results at Itiming.com.