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Paige is Rookie of the Year! Kyle & Bella are Top Juniors...

Saturday, 23 November 2019 23:10

MINNESOTA MULTISPORT HONORS - In the past, we announced all of the MMH winners in a single post, then discussed the selection process of the individual honoreess in follow-up articles. We're doing it a little differently this year. We're announcing the winners of a couple of categories at a time, and explaining the five-member Committee's rationale for the selections. 

Today we are revealing the winners of the ROOKIE OF THE YEAR and JUNIOR OF THE YEAR categories.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR nominees: STEVEN DECKERT, CARYN HERRICK, CONNOR LISOWSKI and PAIGE SCHULZ

ROY WINNER: PAIGE SCHULZ

Four of the five Selectors favored Paige, based largely on her brilliant long distance results. Rookies aren't supposed to podium a big-time races like the Chisago Half IM, where she popped a 4:42:17, and more significantly at Ironman Mont-Tremblant, where she finished 3rd among amateur women in 10:09:16.

Receiving the support of one Committee member was Herrick, who excelled in short course races, as well as turning in great results at half IM. Her win at Hopkins Royal, and her 3rd at Heart of the Lakes, were the kind of highlights that reminded us of former ROYs, Nicole Heininger (2013) and Suzie Fox (2009)....

JUNIOR OF THE YEAR nominees: ISABELLA BUENTING, CARSON DEICHMAN, SIMONE LUNDQUIST and KYLE SWENSON

JOY WINNERS: ISABELLA BUENTING and KYLE SWENSON

The JOY is normally a coed honor. The last time both a boy and a girl were named was 2012 (Greta Danielson and Tyler Hecht). It is because neither Bella nor Kyle were defeated by fellow juniors in regional races in 2019 that we decided to honor them both. Kyle reached the overall men's podium in four of the five in-state triathlons he did, and set junior course records in at least two of those events. 

Bella was equally impressive, making the overall women's podium in three of the five Minnesota tris she did, including one overall victory (Heart of the Lakes Sprint). She established junior records in four of those races.

Fellow nominees Deichman,16, with three overall podiums and one age group record, and the prolific Lundquist, 17, who like her JOY sister Taylor (2017), saves her best results for late in the season--in her last four races she had a win and three 2nds--made 2019 one of the best JOY competitions in the 20-year history of the MMHs.

COMING NEXT: MALE and FEMALE MOST IMPROVED