Race Previews
Lake Minnetonka Tri - Predictions...& Updates...
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Monday, 11 June 2018 23:20
LAKE MINNETONKA PREVIEW - The 15th edition of the LMT will happen on Saturday, June 16. This event has everything: outstanding venue, great amenities, welcoming vibe. It is also one of the few races anywhere that continues to draw its target numbers.
Last week, race director ROSS ROGNEY and timer BRAD PICKLE shared the to-date registration list with MTN. A quick perusal got us very excited, making us thankful that we were wearing adult diapers. It also made us very anxious to make some predictions.
So, without further ado...
Let's start with the 60-64M AG. TONY SCHILLER, who won this race outright when he was 50, is now 60. He owns the 50-54M and 55-59M records, and we predict that he will rewrite the 60-64M course best, which currently belongs to national class AGer BEN EWERS. Ben's time was a very fast 1:14:27, set back in 2009. We suspect that Tony was not happy with his 1:13:43 at the age of 59 last year. He'd gone almost four minutes faster than that the year before. If the weather cooperates, we think TS will pop a 1:10 - 1:11 next weekend.
We are also anxious to see how a pair of talented teens fare against each other. We're talking about ISABELLA BUENTING, 15, and MACY IYER, 14. Bella won the junior title here last year, and is coming off a very impressive 3rd place overall finish at New Bri. Iyer is off to a rip-roaring start this season, winning the Cinco Du Mayo Sprint outright, and crushing the junior CR in the process, and placing 4th overall at Oakdale Du.
Based on the last head-to-head between these girls (Trinona Sprint '17), wherein Iyer placed 2nd overall, and Buenting 4th, we are giving the edge to Iyer. Epic battle. We also believe that the winner will break 1:20....
The most competitive division? No question, it is the men's 40-44, which features five-time overall champ BROOKS GROSSINGER, four-time overall champ BRETT LOVAAS, as well as SCOTT MYERS.
History tells us the Brooks will not only come out on top, but will finish in the Top 2-4.
Who, then, will place ahead of Grossinger? Our pick to win is former pro, PATRICK PARISH, who has the 2nd fastest time ever on this course, a brisk 1:02:47. Others who will battle for podium spots are LOVAAS, JORDAN ROBY, who was 3rd here in 2017, SAM HAUCK, who we believe is ready to return to the elite form he demonstrated between 2006 and 2008, which was before he moved to Omaha to study medicine, and JOE ADRIEANS, runner-up for the Most Imporved award last year. And, if 2017 winner NATAHN ANSBAUGH chooses to return, a podium step should be reserved for him.
As for the women, we are confident the CHRISTINA ROBERTS (photo R) will collect her third consecutive win. After her stellar performance recently at Escape From Alcatraz (3rd overall amateur / 1st US woman) we believe that she can become the second woman (the other is HEATHER LENDWAY) to break 1:10. Very tall order, indeed, but we believe that Roberts has what it takes.
The rest of the women's podium? 2. LISA LENDWAY. 3. OLIVIA BAGNALL-MEHLHORN or ANDREA MYERS.
UPDATE: We just learned that past LMT champions NATHAN ANSBAUGH and SUZIE FOX have enrolled.
Who will win the AGs? Here's our best guess for some of them:
0019 - CARTER DEICHMAN & MACY IYER
4044 - BROOKS GROSSINGER & LIV WILLIAMSEN
4549 - GREG DUMMER & GILLIAN AUSLANDER
5054 - JEFF GREBNER & LAURA SWARTZ
5559 - JAN GUENTHER
6064 - HELEN GUNTHER
6569 - DEB ROBERTS
7074 - ROBERT KRANZ
