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Conspicuous Absentees...

Saturday, 05 October 2019 23:10

Photo - Ted Treise hugging his fiance Dani Vsetecka after her heartbreaking illness-necessitated DNF at Augusta 70.3.

The Minnesota Multisport Honors Committee is currently evaluating potential nominees in twelve categories, as well as determining which twenty athletes--10 men, 10 women--will comprise this year's “Team Minnesota.”

It safe to say that this year's list will look different than prior rosters. This is because many of the “usual suspects” may not be eligible for consideration, that is, if the Committee decides to adhere to its rule that athletes must have turned in AT LEAST THREE outstanding performances during the season. (By “outstanding” we mean that performances have to match, exceed, or at least approach, the historically best efforts set on the courses in question.) This is because many of our state's premier multisport athletes, men and women who are perennial MMH nominees, have either taken the year off, or do not have more than two outstanding performances on their 2019 resumes.

Here are some of the top athletes than may not be eligible for MMH consideration....

- 2018 Triathlete of the Year WADE CRUSER did not race in 2019.
- Four-time Triathlete of the Year MATTHEW PAYNE took the year off.
- 2018 Junior of the Year ARIANA WERTS did not race in 2018.

- 2017 Junior of the Year TAYLOR LUNDQUIST raced brilliantly in the two races she did last season, so unless rules are changed, she is ineligible for consideration.
- DANI VSETECKA and ELAINE NELSON each had two triathlon finishes this year. They won those races, and Dani's victory at Texas 70.3 may earn a Performance of the Year nomination.
- Five-time Master of the Year KEVIN O'CONNOR raced three times, but flatted in one of them.
- Frequent Master of the Year nominee DAVID HOLDEN only raced in two multis last season.
- Danish export ALEXANDER MUNDT had two outstanding performances this season, then moved to North Carolina.
- 2018 Rookie of the Year HEATHER TAYLOR moved to Colorado.

- 2018 Duathlete of the Year JESSON BAUMGARTNER did not race in 2019.
- 2015 Triathlete of the Year / two-time Duathlete of the Year SUZIE FOX (photo R) may have retired from multisports. At the very least, she did not tri or du in 2019.

- Perennial Team Minnesota member NICOLE HEININGER raced twice on Minnesota soil, then moved to Madison, Wisconsin.
- 2018 Team Minnesota member SAMEUL HAUCK had insufficient racing volume in 2019.

It's possible that seven of the women, and six of the men, who made Team Minnesota last season, will not be on this year's squads. That's the sad news. The good news is that lots of other athletes stepped up their games in 2019, and several rookies demonstrated true star potential.

We'll be telling you all about those people in upcoming posts.