Race Coverage

"A Triathlon Broke Out!"

Wednesday, 04 August 2021 00:10

BREWHOUSE XXXIV COVERAGE - It was a beautiful morning for a wedding. Held on the bluff overlooking majestic Island Lake north of Duluth last Sunday, the lovely SHELLY BEATY PEARSON and the comparatively discheveled (meant with total affectionate!) MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY EVANS, exchanged vows after a 35-year engagement. The ceremony was witnessed by approximately 300 guests, and officiated by a Holy Man / restauranteur named RODNEY SADHU RAYMOND, who had printed his online "Marriager Certificate"earlier in the day....

The ceremony was beautiful. Then as Rodney Dangerfield might interject, "A triathlon broke out!"

Not just any tri, the event that erupted was the 34th edition / 9th at Island Lake of the iconic Brewhouse Triathlon.

As in 2019, the most competitive of the offered events--Olympic and Sprint --was the women's Sprint, led by 2020 Triathlete of the Year / BH Sprint course record holder SHYANNE MCGREGOR, who not only won, but placed 2nd overall behind perpetual men's winner / ultramarathoner MIKE WARD. 

Unsurprisingly, BETTINA KEPPERS, a multiple BH Sprint winner, took the silver medalist's podium step, with elite junior / 2021 Fairmont Sprint winner GRACE BUSCH, 19, of Mankato, earning the bronze. 

The battle for 4th and 5th promised to be a goodie, as CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN, 56, took on decorated Iowan triathlete JANET MCCULLOUGH, 55. About a decade ago, McCullough was one her state's most prolific and successful racers, amassing wins on a regular basis. That Kippenhan managed to beat her at Island Lake was a big deal.

Filling out the men's Sprint podium were lapsed triathlete (for medicl reasons) PAUL ROCKWOOD (Great to have you back, Paul!) and former MInnesota Junior of the Year MITCHELL CLAYTON. 

The Top Step of the Olympic podium, one again, was earned by ELAINE NELSON, who was coming off a successful 70.3 debut (3rd place) at Chisaso the previous weekend. Her stepmate was UM triathlete NATHAN MUEGGENBERG. The other steps were claimed by ELLIOT WILCOX and JACOB BRAATEN for the guys, and ELIZABETH CONKLIN and LISA FILZEN for the women. RESULTS