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Carson Deichman is 2020 Male Junior of the Year!

Monday, 09 November 2020 23:10

2020 MINNESOTA MULTISPORT HONORS - Determining the winners of the MMHs is easy sometimes. More often, though, it's extremely difficult. The boys JUNIOR OF THE YEAR category was a toughie.

There is a tendency sometimes to forget that the MMH recipients need to be selected based solely on resume, and not on who is recognized as the faster athlete. This year the fastest of the nominees for male JOY did not recieve the honor, which is to say that 2019 JOY KYLE SWENSON (18, Rogers) finished a close 2nd this time around. Yes, he convincing won the junior division in both of the events he entered, setting an AG record in one of those races. That record-setting effort - Graniteman Big Lake--was arguably the Performance of the Year for a Minnesota male teen. He will also be the first teen boy in the 21-year history of Team MInnesota to make the team.

And in his only confrontation with our choice to win the JOY, he won handily. Most of the MMH Committee members agree that Kyle would have repeated as JOY had his resume included just one more strong performance.

Why then did the MMH Committee nanimously select CARSON DEICHMAN (17, Mankato) as the 2020 male Junior of the Year?

Two words: Volume (6 triathlon starts) and Consistency (5 AG wins / 3 AG records)....

Here's his resume:

- 2nd overall / 1st Junior @ Twin Lakes (IA) Sprint - 2nd fastest junior time in the 12-year history of the race behind collegiate star / former Maple Grove Olympic champion Reece Linder (IA).

- 2nd overall / 1st Junior @ Tri Clear Lake (IA) - Junior course record

- 5th overall / 1st Junior @ Square Lake Sprint - Junior course record

- 6th overall / 1st Junior @ Pigman Sprint (IA)

- 9th overall / 1st Junior @ Graniteman Clearwater Sprint

- 14th overall / 2nd JUnior @ Graniteman Big Lake (behind Kyle Swenson)

Also nominated was 14-year-old NOAH BILLINGS from Rochester. Like Deichman, he raced six times, taking the overall junior title twice. Because we do not Age Grade the juniors, however, Noah's efforts were measured straight-up against Kyle's and Carson's. (Historically, the winner of the JOY (boys and girls) has been at least 16-years old.)

NEXT UP: Girls Junior of the Year.