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Friday, 20 September 2013 00:10

(Photo L - R - Two of this year's MOY nominees, Sarah Mercer and Julia Weisbecker.)

FEMALE MASTER OF THE YEAR – In 14 years only three women have won this award, Jan Guenther doing so ten times, Heidi Keller Miler thrice and Jeanne Fleck once. Is this the year that someone new takes home the prize? We’ll see.

The MMA Selectors unanimously agreed that the female MOY was one of the hardest categories to figure out. Narrowing the field to four official nominees wasn’t easy....

Here are the nominees and their 2013 highlights:

JAN GUENTHER, 54, Mound (photo L)

2^nd overall / 1^st Master @ Heart of the Lakes

jan 3^rd overall / 2^nd Master / 1^st 50+ @ Liberty Half – 4:53:45

4^th overall / 1^st Master @ Lake Minnetonka

10^th overall / 1^st 50+ @ Gear West Duathlon

JULIE HULL, 41, Farmington (photo below)

1^st overall @ Esprit De She Duathlon

2^nd overall / 1^st Master @ Liberty Half – 4:53:08

2^nd / 1^st Master @ Waseca 1/3 (Masters Record)

4^th overall / 1^st Master @ Gear West Du

4^th overall / 2nd Master @ Apple Du Worlds Qualifier

8^th overall / 3^rd Master @ Heart of the Lakes

SARAH MERCER, 45, Golden Valley

2^nd overall / 1^st Master @ Lakefront Days (Masters Record)

3^rd overall / 1^st Master @ Rev3 Wisconsin Dells Olympic

5^th overall / 2^nd Master @ Maple Grove Olympic

6^th overall / 2^nd Master @ Lake Minnetonka

9^th overall / 2^nd Master @ Lake Waconia

JULIA WEISBECKER, 47, Mendota Heights

3^rd overall / 1^st Master @ Maple Grove Olympic

4^th overall / 1^st Master @ Lake Waconia

5th overall / 3^rd Master @ Liberty Half – 4:56:54

6^th overall / 2^nd Master @ Gear West Du

6^th overall / 1^st Master @ Life Time Tri-Minneapolis

6^th overall/ 1^st Master @ Chisago Sprint

6^th AG @ USAT Nationals – 2:17:48

The long list of other age 40-55 women who were part of the discussion for this award, include, in alpha order: GILLAIN AUSLANDER (43, Minneapolis), VERONICA BOND (41, Rochester), JULI CURRIE (41, Chanhassen), SARAH FOLEY (43, Cologne), ANNE GRABOWSKI (45, Minneapolis), JAMIE HEYING (42, Buffalo), ANGIE HOP (42, Rosemount), CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN (48, Bemidji), JULIA LYNG (46, Burnsville), CAROL MARSTON (52, Mankato), SUZANN MOUW (49, White Bear Lake), JEN NEUMAN (42, Ramsey), JENA OGSTON (43, Duluth), GRETCHEN SADAKA (43, NORTH MANKATO), ANN SNUGGERUD (45, Chaska), TRACY SERREYN (49, Lakeville), LAURA SWARTZ (44, St. Louis Park), LISA WACEK (42, Minneapolis) and CHERYL ZITUR (49, Corcoran).