Race Previews

A Four-Peat for Christina?

Friday, 10 August 2018 23:10

As promised, here are some predictins for Sunday's 11th annual YWCA WOMEN'S TRIATHLON, starting with the overall Top 5.

Here's some stuff about CHRISTINA ROBERTS, our pick to win for the 4th straight year:

- Career tri wins: 20

- YWCA Resume:  Amateur champ in 2017, 2016, 2015; PR - 1:07:34 (2015)

- COMMENT: Christina's 2018 resume features two regional wins and a 3rd at Escape from Alcatraz. Clear choice for the win.

2. SUZIE FOX

- Career multisport wins: 42

- YWCA Resume: 2nd amateur in 2017, 2nd in 2009, 6th in 2010; PR - 1:11:14 (2017)

- COMMENT: Suzie hasn't missed a podium yet this season. There is no reason for her to start now....

3. DIANE HANKEE

- Career multisport wins: 31

- YWCA Resume: 3rd in 2017, 3rd in 2015; PR - 1:10:19 (2015)

- COMMENT: Hankee, 41, set a masters record (1:11:23) here in 2017. There's been a lot of stuff going on in her life this year, thus we question her current fitness. Challenging her for a podium spot on Sunday will be Cheryl Zitur and Kelly Trom, perhaps even Jennifer Fitzharris-Funk, whose PR on this course is 1:12.

4. CHERYL ZITUR -

- Career tri wins: 12

- YWCA resume: YWCA debut.

- COMMENT: Cheryl excels in sprint races, and at 53, is capable of rewriting the Masters Record.

5. KELLY TROM

- Career tri wins: 2

- YWCA resume: YWCA debut

- COMMENT: Kelly likes longer races, and has only done one prior sprint, where she finished 4th against a great field.

We're also anxious to see how the battle for teen supremacy shakes out. Will ISABELLA BUENTING, 15, claim that title? Or will MACY IYER? Bella and Macy are two of the three current female frontrunners, along with TAYLOR LUNDQUIST, who is racing at Nationals this weekend, for 2018 Junior of the Year nominations. These girls take turns beating each other.  Macy beat Taylor at Lake Waconia. Bella beat Macy at Chisago Sprint. And though Taylor hasn't beaten either Iyer or Buenting, she has raced more often, setting two junior CRs and winning one race outright in overall womens' course best time. 

We aren't going pick a winner here. We're going to pick two of them. We predict that both of these talented girls will better the race's existing junior course record, which is 1:22:37. And we'd be surprised if either Bella or Macy finished out of the overall Top 10.