Race Coverage

Hanna Makes History!...Updated...

Sunday, 09 September 2018 23:10

iRONMAN WISCONSIN - For months we have been echoing the opinion that HANNAN GRINAKER (pre-race photo with her best guy) is the most complete amateur female triathlete in the US right now. By that we meant that she is a true threat to win every race she enters regardless of distance.

Hanna made her Ironman debut in Madison yesterday, and what a debut it was! We predicted an outstanding performance, perhaps even a podium. Knowing that she'd be facing the woman who is arguably the premier long distance amateur Iron woman in the country right now, we're talking about Illinois' JACQUI GIULIANO,we suspected an epic battle, one that would produce exciting results.

And it certainly did!

Hanna pulled, then pushed Giuliano to what will likely be the Iron performance of the year by an American amateur woman. And Jacqui pushed, then pulled Hanna to the fastest ever Iron debut by a Minnesota amateur female. With her extraordinary 9:49:01, Giuliano crushed DANI FISCHER's amateur record at IMOO by more than eight minutes. And with her silver medal-earning 10:08:33, Grinaker unseated, according to our records, SARAH MERCER (10:24 at Ironman Canada in 2001), as the fastest IM debut by a Minnesota woman.

Currently, our state's fastest amateur ironwoman is MICHELLE ANDRES, whose personal best is 9:50:23, which she threw down at Kona in 2013. It took her four tries to get there, starting with a 12:26 in 2006, then finally cracking 11-hours ina a BIG way in her third attempt: a 10:05:30 victory at Wiscosnin in 2012.

What will Hanna's 4th attempt produce? Heck, what will her next 140.6 time be? We're anxious to find out, especially since her next IM will likely by Kona 2019, where she will once again face Jacqui Giuliano.

(FYI - Jacqui's hisband RYAN, who has been seriously overlooked for USAT honors the past three seasons, took the men's title at Wisconsin. A husband/wife tandem winning a major Ironman. How freakin' cool is that!)

We scoured Wisconsin's results for names we recognized. We posted them below. If we've missed you, or someone you know who finished IMOO yesterday, please use the COMMENT feature below to add that athlete's name and time. Or post an update on our MTN Facebook page.

TOP 50 MEN:

- JOSH MORK - 14th overall - 9:44:00 (bottom photo)

- NICHOLAS SERRATORE - 19th overall - 9:53:11

- JASON CRISP - 28th overall - 10:00:15

- MARK HENRY - 30th overall - 10:03:02

TOP 50 WOMEN:

- HANNA GRINAKER - 2nd overall - 10:08:33

- BECKY YOUNGBERG, 43 - 9th overall - 10:46:03

- PAGE SCHULZ - 16th overall - 10:58:40 (IM debut)

- SARA CARLSON, 40 - 17th overall - 11:00:45

- AMY HITE, 40-44 - 18th overall - 11:01:18

- SHEENA DAUER - 24th overall - 11:23:39