Race Coverage

Climate Changes & Dark Horses....

Sunday, 14 July 2024 00:10

TIMBERMAN OLYMPIC COVERAGE - A windy morning agitated Sugar Lake. A brief downpour was endured on the bike course, though not at the venue, where ithe rain was light and transient. As five-time T-Man winner JAN GUENTHER, now 65, articulated on Facebook, the post downpour weather was sultry. Climbing temps and humidity greeted athletes after they dismounted their bikes. But their were few, if any, complainers, because this is Timberman, an event like no other.

A cursory look at the entrant led us to anticpate a dynamic women's race, with ELENA JASPER poised to show two-time champ HEATHER LENDWAY that the gap between them was shrinking fast.

A more thorough look would have revealed that there was someone else in the women's field who deserved to be taken very, very seriously. Her name is RACHEL WERKING (photo). She's a 26-year-old Wisconsinite and pro aspirant who placed 7th at the 2023 USAT National AG Championships, where her time was only 17-seconds slower than Lendway's. 

HL outswan the entire field as expected. The second woman out of the water was Werking, who was 1:08 behind the leader. Heather entered T2 with a 2:22 lead on Rachel, and though the soon-to-be 40-year-old..

triathlete would pop a 40-minute six-mile run, it ultimately would not be enough. After checking Werking's Nationals splits, and learning that she was a former Div. 1 runner (UW-Madison) who entered the race with two recent half marathon victories under her belt, we understood that Heather's lead was precarious. Rachel's 36-minute run allowed her overtake to Lendway and win by a margin of 1:27.

To no one's surprise, Jasper filled out one of the most formidable women's podiums in Timberman's thirty-nine year history,  All three women cracked the overal Top 10, with Werking taking 3rd, Lendway 5th and Jasper 7th.

SAM HAUCK came into the race having won his last two outings. He was the clear favorite and he took the men's lead immediately and didn't relinquish it. The newly-minted master had five-plus minuted to cool down before runner-up JASON CRISP crossed the finish line.

Other great performances were turned in by DAVID CARNEY (3rd overall - 1st 50-54M - photo R), TIFFANY KARI-CIZMAS, who is a hoot! (4th woman,  1st non-USAT master) and the aforementioned JAN GUENTHER, who placed 5th overall in the women's race, and TIM BROWN, 65, who remains. undefeated this year in AG racing.. 

The morning was not conducive to overall and AG records in the Olympic race, though severala fell in the Sprint, but one athlete, PAM STEVENS, 71, set 70-74W divisional record.

Between the Olympic, Sprint and Super Sprint, a  total of 292 athletes finished the event, and once again AMY and ALAN and their crew produced a first-class experience for the racers.  OLYMPIC RESULTS

ED. SPRINT and SUPER SPRINT coverage will post on Tuesday.