Race Coverage

Juniors Shine at Heart of the Lakes Sprint...

Monday, 22 July 2019 23:10

HEART OF THE LAKES SHORT COURSE - Wow! What a great race. Four teens, two boys and two girls, cracked the overall Top 7! The two fastest of those talented young athletes, KYLE SWENSON, 17, and ISABELLA BUENTING, 16 (photo), completely rocked, and one of them (Buenting) demolished the 34-year-old race's junior record.

Buenting became only the second teen to win her gender's competition  outright.

Not only that, only two women--2018 National Champion GABY BUNTEN and CATHERINE LEE--have gone faster here. Lee's 48:44, which she posted back in 2003, was only nine seconds better than Bella's time.

Gaby's 45:41, a clocking befitting her National Champion talent, was turned in last year.

Buenting's margin of victory was 3:15 over runner-up /fellow elite junior MACY IYER, 15, who was nominated for Junior of the Year in 2018.

Third was earned by exiled Minnesotan MIKAELA ALGREN, who now lives in Coors country (Golden, Colorado). Mikaela finished 11th here in 2018. Her 2019 time--53:50--was 5:04 better than a year ago.(FYI - A Gustavus grad is currently doing research at Colorado School of Mines, Algren finished 4th last month at the TriBella Women's Triathlon in the Aurora, a Denver suburb.)

Buenting's 2019 in-state resume features her HOLT win, 3rds at Lake Minnetonka and Minneapolis Sprint, and a 4th at Buffalo Sprint. Three of those efforts yielded AG records....

As for Kyle Swenson, he did not win the sprint, but he placed 2nd in a great time, 44:51, which was only seven seconds off BRANDON ONOPA's AG record, set back in 2010. 

Like Buenting, Swenson has taken the junior title in all five races he's done thus far this year. And with her, he is the co-frontrunner for Junior of the Year. 

There is a good possibility that the MMH Committee will decide to have both boys and girls honors this year, instead of a coed award. The talent pools on both sides are deep.

Finishing 34 seconds in front of Swenson was ANDY ZABEL (photo R with Dane Nelson), who was coming off a victory at Moose Lake the previous day. This was his second HOLT Sprint victory. He also won this race in 2013.

Zabel's 2019 scorecord suggests that he is a shoo-in for a Most Improved nomination. In additions to his two wins this past weekend, he placed 3rd at Graniteman Clearwater Olympic, and took 4th against strong fields at Apple and Lake Minnetonka.

Third place at HOLT Sprint was earned by STEVE STENZEL, who was looking sharp in his signature plaid bike pants.

Arguably the age group performance of the day was turned in by soon-to-be-81, JUDY RYKKEN. Do you know her? She's a delight!  RESULTS