Race Coverage
Steve & Matt Lead the Way...
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Wednesday, 16 July 2014 00:10
LIFE TIME TRI - MINNEAPOLIS - Amateur Men - At least two of the Top 3 amateur women at Saturday’s Life Time Tri - Minneapolis—Heather Lendway and Dani Fischer-- appear doomed of receive USAT Athlete of the Year nominations when the dust of the 2014 season settles.
The same is true for the Top 2 men at Minneapolis. Winner Steve Mantell of Fort Collins, Colorado, and runner-up Matthew Payne (photo L) of Columbia Heights, Minnesota seem destined for post-season recognition.
Payne came into Saturday’s race with an unblemished record: undefeated in six starts. Mantell came into the event with only one non-victorious effort on his scorecard, his 3rd place finish at USAT Collegiate Sprint Nationals. It should be noted, however, that that performance happened the day after he won the amateur title at Collegiate Olympic Nationals.
Mantell’s 2014 amateur wins at Escape from Alcatraz and Boulder 70.3 (3:58) are the stuff that make USAT AOY Selectors drool. Add his victorious amateur efforts at...
Minneapolis, AND Boulder Peak, which was staged the day after the Life Time event, and you have the clearcut frontrunner for AOY.
For Payne to win the award, he’d have to win a few national-level events, including USAT Nationals, where he’d have to beat Mantell.
Back to Minneapolis.
While Mantell and Payne were flying off the front, both destined for sub-2-hour performances on that stiflingly humid morning, the remainder of the men’s Elite Amateur field were busting their tookases trying to stay ahead eventual women’s amateur winner Heather Lendway, who turned in a course record time (2:06:21) that would have placed her 3rd in the women’s professional competition. Only five guys, other than Steve and Matt, that is, were able to post times that were faster than Heather’s. They were: Marcus Stomberg (3rd – 2:01:02), Iowan Kris Spoth (4th – 2:01:13), Sean Cooley (5th – 2:02:13), Kyle Serreyn (6th – 2:04:15) and Bennett Isabella (7th – 2:06:12).
As they did at Life Time Tri - Trinona, the first race in Life Time’s Minnesta Series, Chap Achen (9th overall) and Thad Ingersoll (10th overall) distinguished themselves as the Top Masters. RESULTS
