Race Previews
Rockstar Newbies...
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Thursday, 01 September 2016 05:10
ST. CROIX VALLEY TRIATHLONS XVI - The "Rookie Triathlon Experience," a supercool mentoring program designed to make one's introduction to the sport of triathlon as unintimidating as possible, will be a featured part of this year's SCVT, as it was a RochesterFest, where it was an wonderful success....
MTN would like to start spreading the love for SCVT's newbies right now. Here are the names of the 53 (!) mentored rookies that will lose their tri virginity on Saturday in Hudson, Wisconsin:
SELENA BUTLER - CAITLYN BERLIN - CHES HUTCHINSON - AMIT MATTOO - BETH LEDVINA - JESSICA LEMAY - JEFF BURTON - THOMAS SARGENT - PAT STREAM - BRET ANDERSON - SALLY DOERING-WASHEM - MEGHAN MUIRE - NICOLAS MAIERS - JASON NICHOLS - JUDY WICKHAM - JILLIAN FIELD - ISABEL FIELD - OLIVIA FIELD - JOSEPH CROSBY - KATIE LEDVINA - JENN VANDER WOUDE - KATHRYN NOLTE-BOURASSA - DAN HARTUNG - JOHN WEEKS - ANDREW HOLMES - BRAD DAVICK - CHAD HASENOHRI - ANN THEISEN - BRENT TORGERSON - DARREN REED - ERIC JENSEN - EMILY PICKAR - BEN STANFORTH - FRANSISCO RODRIQUEZ - MATT JOHNSON - DONNA HARRIS - ERIN MURPHY - CYNTHIA GILL - STEPHEN FAHS - LARRY STRENKE - DEB STANCEVIC - DANNY JUDD - JORDAN SIMKINS - LAURA NIELSEN - HEIDI DUBBERKE - SANDRA TOCKO - SILAS DINGLE - ANDREW MISHEK - ALLISON OFFERMAN - BRUCE WASHAM - JULIE WADZINSKI - CHAD UNGER - BRYANT EKSTROM.
As for the prediction the outcome of the Olympic and Sprint races, we believe that men's "Most Improved" frontrunner Wade Cruser and likely 2016 Master of the Year nominee David Holden will duke it out in the Olympic race, which Holden has won four times. Cruser, however, is our pick to prevail.
For the owmen in the Olympic event, course record holder Kortney Haag, a three-time winner here, and Lisa Lendway should finish 1-2.
The SCV Sprint is often won by late registrants, even race day sign-ups. We think that will happen on Saturday.
3rd Annual HOPKINS ROYAL TRIATHLON - This awesome event won the "Triathletes Choice Race of the Year" in 2015. Unfortunately, it has been sold out for a long time, thus those looking for a tri will have to go to Hudson.
If you want to watch (or volunteer at) a great event, one with a truly unique vibe, head over to Shady Oak Beach in Minnetonka on Saturday. Like the SCVT, newbies are treated like rock stars at Hopkins Royal.
A glance at the start list tells us that defending champ Suzie Fox, 2015 Minnesota Triathlete of the Year" is the clear women's favorite, despite her injuries. And based on his 2016 resume, we suspect that Michael Weissenborn will hold off Eric Hendrickson, 2014 champ, Brett Lovaas, winner of at least 30 tris in his career, and Scott Myers for the win. RACE WEBSITE
