Race Previews

Maple Grove Sprint & Lakes Country Previews...

Tuesday, 22 August 2017 19:10

MAPLE GROVE SPRINT - We are very impressed with the way JENNIFER FITZHARRIS-FUNK (photo) is racing this year. Sure, she has been racing well for the last several seasons, but she seems to have  gone to another level in 2017. The tattoed 42-year-old Minneapolis resident's current resume features 2nd place efforts at Minneapolis and Chisago Sprints, and a 6th (4th amateur) at YWCA Women's Tri.

Here at MGS, JFF has three top 5 finishes, her best being a 2nd in 2014.

Is this the year she wins? It could be. We see her in the Top 2 with three-time champ CHERYL ZITUR.

It needs to be noted that Cheryl isn't totally healthy right now, plus her luck this season has been awful, affecting two ofher three starts this season. She flatted at Buffalo Sprint and crashed at Walker.

So, the door is wide open for a new champ. The one most ready to step through that door, in our opinion, is JFF. Still, we are not ready to predict the upset. Zitur is sort of the Dave Scott of Minnesota's women's multi scene. Never count her out.

This said, we're anxious to see how this year's sprint race turns out. FYI - We're picking LAURA SWARTZ to claim the bronze on Saturday.

As for the men, we predict that 2013 MGS winner DAVID PHILLIPS, who posted his seventh career win two weeks ago at Lake Marion, and brawny GREG DUMMER will take the Top 2 places. Based on his 2017 resume to date, Dummer is our pick to win.

LAKES COUNTRY TRIATHLON - WADE CRUSER is enrolled, thus he is our pick to repeat, threepeat actually....

It's the women's race that excites us. 2013 champ SARA SAMPSELL-JONES, who is a perennial podium finisher here, is one of the faves. Another is TAYLOR LUNDQUIST, 17, who has two wins and a couple of Junior CRs this season. Taylor races often and seems to be indestructable. Sara does not race often, but she excels when she does.

We like Lundquist career trajectory, thus she is our choice to win in Baxter on Sunday. Approximately 200 participants are expected.  Will you be one of them? RACE WEBSITE