Race Previews

Fun, Empowerment, Inspiration...

Tuesday, 07 August 2012 02:30

(Cool Photo of Claire - We recommend that Boots and Laura Swartz have a "Smile Off" after Sunday's YWCA Women's Tri.)

Race Preview - The YWCA Women's Triathlon, a glorious demonstration of the Y's slogan: "The Power to Soar," will celebrate it's 5th birthday next Sunday at Lake Nokomis. More than 1000 women will participate.

Though newbies and recreational athletes are the event's Biggest, Brightest Stars, we have not seen an entire list of participants. If we had, we would, in keeping with the tri's focus, have selected some of those folks to write about here. We would have raided their FB pages and given you a peek into their lives, ...

which is our way of reminding our readership that "Triathletes are people, too," and that participating in this lifestyle is not the only thing that makes them cool. By revealing what books they've read, or movies they've most enjoyed, or if they prefer flavored vodka to the straight stuff, we are giving you a conversation starter, a reason to say hello, and, for instance, "Hey, I agree that Kristin Wiig was a total hoot in 'Bridesmaids.'" dog

But we have seen the list of the elite women who will be racing at Nokomis. So, in alpha order, we'll talk about them.

* Claire Bootsma - The 2011 Minnesota Triathlete of the Year is the defending champ and course record (1:07:25) holder. We expect to see Boots post her 12th career victory this Sunday.

* Jill Ellenbecker - The Top 5 she turned in here in 2011 is going to be hard, though not impossible, to duplicate against this strong field.

* Darcy Franklin - Darce, who loves her dog (photo R) a lot, has been off the Tri-grid since 2009, but if she races on Sunday like she did in 2007 and 2006, a Top 5 is totally possible.

* Lydia Novotny - The two-time YWCA champ (2010, 2009) is having her best season yet, but a podium could be hard to come by on Sunday. Top 5? For sure.

* Greta Simpson - Greta's reached the podium at this race on two occasions (2010 and 2009). As with Lydia, a return to the Top 3, though not impossible, is a very tall order.

* Ann Snuggerud - Ann was 3rd behind Claire and Kortney Haag last year. It was the kind of performance that helped her earn a Minnesota Master of the Year nomination. A repeat is possible.

* Stephanie Solfelt - If she's healthy, we believe that Steph is a definite podium candidate. She hasn't raced (in a multi) in more than a month.

laura * Nordica Stocker - If she races like she did at Lake Minnetonka (2nd), a Top 3 is certainly possible.

* Laura Swartz (photo L) - Laura won the inaugural running of this event and has placed between 5th and 9th in subsequent editions, which is where we believe she'll finish on Sunday. Her and Claire should have a "Smile Off." Perhaps Crest could sponsor such an event?

The 5th YWCA Women's Tri is doomed to be a fantastic event, with stars finishing in every position. The experience is unique and gives off an exciting and inspiring vibe. If you're not racing on Sunday, we recommend that you spend the morning at Lake Nokomis, either as a volunteer or as an enthusiastic spectator.