Race Previews

Apple Bites...Updated!

Monday, 22 May 2017 19:10

SARTELL APPLE DUATHLON PREVIEW - Historically, Apple has been America's most competitive non-championship duathlon, except during those years that it had actually hosted Nationals or Worlds Qualifiers. On those occasions, Apple was clearly the most talent-heavy run-bike-run in the country.

Next Saturday, Apple, our state's oldest ongoing multisport event, will celebrate its 35th anniversary, and once again, it will feature a field of athletes that will rival the national championships. And it will do so without a pair of athletes who have imprinted the event. MATTHEW PAYNE, a two-time men's champ and reigning amateur record holder, will not be on the starting line next weekend. In the interest of his competitive longevity, the forty-year-old two-time US DOY has vowed not to race on successive weekends. He raced, and won, last Sunday at Gear West Du.

2013 and 2011 winner SUZIE FOX will also be elsewhere this weekend. Family and friends stuff, we think?

Still, Saturday's event should be ultra competitive. On the women's side, three of last year's Top 5 are returning. 2016 winner DIANE HANKEE, who is coming off ...

a major victory at Gear West against a stellar field, will be back, as will Apple runner-up DANI VSETECKA, and fifth-placer CHRISTINA ROBERTS. Also enrolled is JENN SCUDIERO, 2013 National Du Champion.

Dani and Diane come into the event as our co-favorites. Both have momentum and are gunning for their second du win of the young season. What Dani has in her favor is freshness. She hasn't raced in several weeks, whereas Diane may not be fully recovered from her hard-fought win last Sunday.

Only 22 seconds separated these women last year. It may even be a closer race this time around.

What excites us most about the men's race is that for the first time since the millennial turn, a local athlete is favored to win. That's right, an athlete from the St. Cloud area has not won this event since the 90s. Our favorite to win on Saturday is Sauk Rapids' WADE CRUSER.

Winner of three of the five dus he's done in his young career, Cruser was on record pace two weeks ago when a flat took him out of the race. He's hungry and ready and believes that Payne's Apple amateur record isn't safe.

The question is this, though: Will he be the first man to cross the finish line? Twin City pro PATRICK PARISH, who won here in 2012, is a two-time US DOY, once as an amateur, once as pro, is registered. The Cruser/Parish battle should be epic. We're anxious to see if Wade can take both the amateur title and the overall win.

It's time to make some AG predictions. Based on the list that was posted on Apple's website on May 18, here are our picks, many of whom, we are happy to report, are from the St. Cloud * area:

- 75-79M - DARYL STEVENS * (photo R with wife Pam. A die-hard Lawrence Welk fan, Daryl plays the accordian on purpose.)

- 70-74M - PHILLIP DAVIS, TN

- 65-69W - DEB ROBERTS

- 65-69M - MIKE FLYNN

- 60-64W - PAM STEVENS *

- 60-64M - DOUGLAS WYNVEEN, WI

- 55-59W - JUDY MURRAY * (top photo)

- 55-59M - JIM HANNON

- 50-54W - AMY WOOLSEY *

- 50-54M - ROB MADGWICK *

- 45-49W - CHERI BATES *

- 45=49M - KEVIN O'CONNOR

- 40-44W - ANDREA MYERS

- 40-44M - MIKE BUENTING

- 15-19B - HUNTER WARNER

UPDATE: The men's and women's races have just been significantly strengthened by the additions at SEAN COOLEY and HANNA GRINAKER. Sean and Wade Cruser have had some epic battles in the past, and Hanna, Minnesota's 2016 Rookie of the Year, Athlete of the Year, Performance of the Year winner, will come into the race as one of the three co-favorites. Exciting stuff.