Race Coverage

Leanness and Meanness...

Tuesday, 13 February 2024 00:10

Jason Larson Photo - Graniteman women's runner-up Bridget Tetmeyer.

GRANITEMAN OLYMPIC COVERAGE - PETER WIKMAN is looking lean and mean these days, and he's racing that way, too. The clear frontrunner for 2023 Most Improved (Male), Peter came into Saturday's Olympic-plus race as a Top Two pick alongside reemerging JOE ADRIAENS. Wikman had two 2nd-place performances under his belt this year, finishing behind established elites ERIC ENGEL (at Buffalo) and SEAN COOLEY (at Trinona). That Peter finished ahead of Adriaens at Buffalo made him the male to beat at Clearwater.

The men's race unfolded as expected, with Joe leading after the swim and Peter making up a chunk of the deficit on the bike. It was the run that determined the Gold/Silver outcome. Advantage: Wikman.

Peter was victorious here in 2021, his 2:11 a sweet result over a course with four miles of extra cycling. Last weekend he shaved  almost two minutes off that effort, his 2:09:58 the fourth fastest men's time ever at the Clearwater Graniteman venue.

Adriaen's lock on 2nd place was not as secure as it may have original seemed. North Dakota transplant BRANDON LEE, 41, made up a ton of lost time after the swim by posting the fastest bike split, followed by a speedy run. In the end, only twelve seconds separated him from Adriaens. Lee's time--2:12:55--was a Clearwater Olympic Masters record...

The Top 5 was rounded out by JOHN BODEAU and 54-year-old Elite Master DAVID HOLDEN.

For the women, CARYN HERRICK, looking lean and mean like her husband (Wikman), came in as the favorite to run away with the win just as she had at Trinona the previous weekend. Unsurprisingly, she did just that. The race for the final two podium slots was exciting and, on paper, resembled the battle between Adriaens and Lee in the men's race. The only difference was the fact that the athletes had launched in separate waves, thus they were largely unaware of relative positions during the race. Tri newcomer BRIDGET TETMEYER (Photo) was the 2nd woman to cross the finish line. The 21-year-old College of St. Benedict cross country runner impressed us last year with a 3rd place finish at Turtleman Olympic behind Elite Master NICOLE CUENO and 2022 Junior of the Year GRACE BUSCH. Could she, a Wave One starter, hold her posiition for the three minutes needed to defeat Wave Two podium favorite ANDREA MYERS?

Well, she did, but not by much. Only 19-seconds untimatley separated the rising star from the established star. 

Myers, 47, set an AG record last Saturday, shaving almost five minutes off the previous 45-49W mark set in 2017.

The Graniteman was celebrating its 20th anniversary, its Cleawater venue hosting the last fourteen editions of the race. Attendance was down slightly probably due to the threat of inclement weather, weather that did not happen until after everyone had gone home. In fact, conditions were accommodating, with temps starting in the 60s and climbing into the mid-70s as the last racers crossed the finish line. OLYMPIC RESULTS

COMING NEXT: CLEARWATER GRANITEMAN SPRINT coverage.