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2016 Performance of the Year: Women...

Monday, 17 October 2016 23:10

2016 MINNESOTA MULTISPORT AWARDS - Today we post the final MMA category: FEMALE PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR.

It's taken several weeks to narrow the long list of outstanding performances to just four, but here they are in alpha order by athlete:

1. - HANNA GRINAKER's record-setting victory at LAKE WACONIA, where she lowered the women's CR by 3:05.

2. - KORTNEY HAAG's course record at BUFFALO OLYMPIC. Her time--2:10:08--bettered the previous CR by more than two-and-a-half minutes. The women's field at Buffalo was very deep, with five members of 2015 Team Minnesota as well as rookie Grinaker.

3. - DIANE HANKEE's victory at APPLE DUATHLON, where she outraced what was arguably the deepest women's field of the year in our state.

4. - ERIN HYNDMAN-FARREN's 3rd place overall women's finish at IRONMAN LOUISVILLE. Her time was 10:02:29, which is the second fastest Minnesota women's 140.6 clocking ever...

As we noted above, it was difficult to narrow the list of potential POY nominees. Here are some of the other efforts that received serious scrutiny:

- Gaby Bunten's course records at Trinona and Turtleman.

- Kortney Haag's 2nd at Superior Man (4:36:34)

- Diane Hankee's 2nd at Muncie 70.3 (4:38:51) and win at Liberty (4:42:30).

- Erin Hyndman-Farrens' victories at Life Time Tri - Maple Grove and Toughman Half, plus her 3rd (amateur) at Timberman 70.3 (4:43:13) in New Hampshire.

- Hanna Grinaker's insanely fast CR at New Bri and her victory at the Heart of the Lakes State Championships.

- Nicole Heininger's win at Toughman Sprint.

- Bridget McCoy's victory at Brewhouse Olympic.

- Christina Roberts' two-minute improvement on the women's course record at Timberman Long Course (2:09:18), and her fast victory at Lake Minnetonka, where her margin of victory was 2:35.

- Dani Vsetecka's course record at Falls Duathlon and her 2nd at Texas 70.3 in 4:34:56, the fastest half IM time by a Minnesota woman this year.

MMAs and "Race of the Year" will be announced at Tri Night'16 at Gear West Bike & Triathlon in Long Lake on November 12.