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Then & Now Revealed: Part II...

Saturday, 22 November 2014 06:10

Part II of a two-part post. Post I appeared on Friday.

Pic #1 is of #6-ranked KORTNEY HAAG. Seriously cute, huh! In 2014, Haag lived-up to the potential she displayed in 2008, when she was Rookie of the Year, and 2009, when she won the Most Improved award and placed 2nd on Team MInnesota. In the intervening years she had to contend with injuries and childbirth.

Kort won three half IMs last season and more than one Committee member was disappointed that she wasn't ranked higher than 6th....

Pic #5 is of 7th-ranked DIANE HANKEE, who is a Hoot! She's Canadian and has a cool accent. In 2014 she excelled in duathlon and long distance tris. With two du wins, a 2nd at Long Course Du Nationals and Apple, plus a 4th at Standard Distance Du Nationals, Diane appears to be a shoo-in to receive a USAT Duathlon of the Year Honorable Mention.

Pic #3 is of 8th-ranked NICOLE HEININGER. Heiney, a ubiquitous smiler, followed her 2013 Rookie of the Year season with an even better resume in '14, one featuring three wins, podiums at Heart of the Lakes,  Buffalo Olympic and Chisago (3rd amateur), where she set a 70.3 personal best (4:46:34).

Heiney still likes to drink from her garden hose. Who doesn't? She is scheduled to do Ironman Cozumel on November 30. MTN is anxious to cover her performance.

Pic #4 is of 9th-ranked CHRISTINA ROBERTS. Her breakout 2014 season featured a PR-setting win at Maple Grove Olympic and podiums at three of our state's most competitive races: Lake Minnetonka (2nd), Lake Waconia (2nd) and Heart of the Lakes (3rd). She kicked off the year with a 6th place finish at Escape from Alcatraz. She received a well-deserved nomination for Most Improved last season.

Pic #11 os of 10th-ranked BRIDGET MCCOY, whose table manners have improved dramatically over the years, though she still eats with her fingers a lot.

Her racing performances have improved significantly, too. She had to beat out six women who were in contention for the final Team Minnesota spot. She did so by holding her own against the best women in our region and beyond. She won two races--RochesterFest Olympic and Outland Challenge--and podiumed at Gear West Du and Chisago Sprint.

Pic #7 is of sophomore pro RUTH BRENNAN MORREY, who didn't smile as much during her toddler perod as she does now. One of our favorite people ever, Ruth has truly taken her place among the premier duathletes and long distance triathletes in the world. In 2014, she won Kansas 70.3 (4:13:16) and placed 2nd in her IM debut in Chattanooga, where she popped a ridiculous 9:09:39. Her 1:26 at Apple was the performance of the year in the US by a female duathlete.