Race Coverage

Increased Attendance & Jason Aldean Hats...

Monday, 19 September 2016 23:10

Photo - Cheri Bates and Greg Koutoupas discussing tattoos and Greek food.

ONE LAST TRI - DANI VSETECKA returned to her winning ways after a two-and-a-half month injury absence on Sunday at One Last Tri Olympic-esque (732m-27-10K). The win was the 2015 Rookie of the Year's second in four starts this season and 5th (in 8 starts) of her young career.

Her time was impressive - 2:08:33--and landed her in 5th place overall. The men who finished in front of her were credentialed athletes, starting with winner JASON TOTH (2:00:47), who was also victorious eight days earlier at Square Lake. (We suspect that Jason, who currently resides in Eagan, may be a New York state transplant.)

The runner-up was former Team Minnesota guy RYAN BAILEY, who got his pro license in 2015 then sort of disappeared. It was good to have him back on the local scene. Ryan's time was only eight seconds off Toth's pace... 

The final men's podium position was earned by 2016 Rookie of the Year nominee--the officlal nominees will be revealed on MTN tomorrow--JOEL LaFRANCE (2:03:14), and 4th went to COREY KUGLIN (2:05:54), who was also a Top 5 finisher at Lakes Country.

As impressed as we were with Vsetecka's performance, we were even more dazzled by the effort of female runner-up WHITNEY HODGES, who popped a 2:12:14 in what we believe to be her first triathlon. An avid and successful distance runner, we hope that Whitney has been bitten by the "Multisport Bug." If she was, she would go into the 2017 tri/du season as the Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

OLT's Olympic event had 79 finishers.

ONE LAST TRI SPRINT (366,-13-5K) - This year's OLT Sprint had 179 finishers, thus the total finisher count was 259, 79 more than in 2015. We hope this is a trend.

Leading the way this year were amiable masters THOMAS ANDERSON III and CHERI BATES, who is a total HOOT! Thomas won handily, his margin over 2nd placing JOSH NORSTROM, a talented teen from Crystal, was 6:01. The win was the 2nd of Anderson's multisport career.

Bates' victory was her first ever, making her one of several Minnesota women who started winning races in their 40s. Cheri has a really cool straw cowboy hat, her signature, that she wears in the final stages of the race. We think is was a gift from JASON ALDEAN.

Minnesota's 2016 multisport season will conclude next weekend at the Central Lakes Duathlon in Fergus Falls. The season went by too fast, don't you agree? OLT RESULTS

Photo above R - Dani V and Race Director Judi F.