Race Coverage

Legends Prevail at Chisago Sprint...

Tuesday, 29 July 2025 00:10

19th CHISAGO LAKES SPRINT COVERAGE - "That's what I'm here for," DIANE HANKEE (photo below) told a friend at the swim start of last Sunday's Chisago Lakes Sprint Triathlon. She was responding, albeit with a preposition-ending reply, to the question. "Are you going to win?" ...

It was a warm morning and getting warmer and stickier as the minutes passed. Diane, winner of at least 42 multis coming into the event, including past editions of Chisago Sprint (2019) and Half IM (2013), needed solid splits to keep herself at the front of the women's race, which she was able to do. After she crossed the line, the waiting game started. Of all who launched in later waves the most worrisome competitor was ERIN ROCK. winner of the Manitou Sprint Triathlon last month.

In 2023 and 2024, a similar scenario unfolded where a later started, in both cases CHERYL ZITUR, managed to bump Diane into 2nd place.

Rock, returning to Minnesota in '24 after years in Kentucky, outbiked the women's field but it wasn't quite enough to catch or overtake Hankee. It did however  provide a comfortable margin over eventual 3rd placer, JILL ELLENBECKER, who has been turning in consistently great results in recent years.

A race-day registrant at Buffalo Sprint in early June was able to upend COREY NYGAARD's plans. Corey came into the event as a clear favorite, but left the event as runnerup.It wasn't because he hadn't raced brilliantly. It was because that late signup was legendary Minnesota's triathlete, DAVID THOMPSON (top photo),a former pro with, by our count, at least 109 multisport Ws on his scorecard. A lapsed triathlete, his last race was in 2020, which occurred after a four-year layoff (He won 9 of the 11 races he entered in 2016!). 

Now 47 and admittedly a tad rusty, DKT is not someone to bet against.

We'll a similar movie happened at Chisago, and his margin was not just a handfull of seconds; it was a chunky 4:09. The 2nd place finisher in question was NATHAN STRUDLE, who also took 2nd here in 2023. Despite rising heat and dew point, Nathan managed to shave 38-seconds from his 2023 clocking.

Approximately one third of the 600ish CLT adult participants were entered in the Sprint.  RESULTS

Photos courtesy of J.A.D Photography.