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Tuesday, 17 February 2015 06:10

Photo - Brett Lovaas and a guy with a Yosemite Sam mustache.

By Warren Peece

There were several reasons why pros weren’t included on Team Minnesota in 2014. One is that we didn’t know how to measure the value of pro performances, especially the men’s. None of our state’s four male pros had great seasons last year. DKT was battling injuries. Hedge got married. PP raced sparingly and Devon chased an Ironman dream that didn’t come true. Twice. How, for instance, do you compare, say, an 8^th place finish in a pro race to a course record amateur win? Remember, Team Minnesota selection is based on the quality of one’s resume, not who’s better than who on paper.

Then there’s Gwen Jorgensen, who has raced in only one Minnesota triathlon, Life Time - Minneapolis back in July of 2012. She’s the best draft-legal female triathlete in the world, and unquestionably the best DL female that the US has ever produced. But how do you compare “Team” racing with “Individual” racing?

But the #1 reason we excluded pros last year was that the amateur women were totally rocking socks. By eliminating Gwen and Ruth, we freed up two Team MN slots. Still, great athletes with great resumes, women like Lisa Lendway, Gaby Bunten, Nicole Cueno, Kelly Trom, Claire Bootsma, Cheryl Zitur found themselves on the outside looking in....

The good news for these, and other, female athletes is that in 2015 last year’s Top 3 women will be ineligible for Team Minnesota consideration. Heather has gotten her pro license, as has Dani, who is doubly ineligible because she relocated to Indiana, and CY, who’ll be living in Switzerland next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.

For the men, Devon has returned to the amateur ranks, while Ryan Bailey (#10 onTeam MN last year) has gotten his pro card, so it’s possible that the 2015 men’s team will look a lot like the 2014 one.

We like to see a shake-up, though. We wouldn’t be surprised, for instance, if Nick Nygaard bumped someone off the list. And we'd love to see some of the guys who have been knocking at the door to finally gain entrance. This list includes Kyle Serreyn and Johnny Heinlein. Then there’s guys like Dan Arlandson, Dennis Dane, Scotty Myers, Brett Lovaas and Eric Hendrickson, who have made the Team before but have been absent for a few years.

This is fun stuff to think about. It makes us anxious for the winter to pass and the new tri season to begin.