Race Previews

Oakdale Spring Classic Du Preview - Part II...

Wednesday, 15 May 2019 23:10

OAKDALE SPRING CLASSIC DUATHLON - Who will lead the way at the 17th annual Oakdale Du this Saturday? That's hard to say. Elite athletes tend to register late. 

So, who are some of the athletes that are not currently enrolled that might show up at Lake Elmo Park Reserve and take home awards? Perhaps last year's top two men and women will return. We're talking about Jacob Olsen, Jessop Keene, Christina Roberts and Diane Hankee.

Past champs Wade Cruser and Jenn Scudiero could be there, as could 2019 Duathlon National Champion Patrick Parish.

We'd love to see any or all of these national class athletes on the starting line, along with other stars who have rocked socks at Lake Elmo Park in the past, guys like Dave Koppel and Jordan Roby, and women like Katherine Lenglet and Shelley Ostrander.

Fingers crossed.

As for those who have committed to racing on Saturday, we are excited about the fast juniors who will be there....

ANDREW NOVAK, 17, of Oronoco, set the Junior AG record here in 2018 (1:10:37) and was included in the JOY discussions. He won the teen title in every race he did last year. This young man prefers dus to tris, and if none of the aforementioned guys show up, Andrew could actually win the race.

And if none of the abovementioned women race on Saturday, a junior could win the women's competition.

Who?

MACY IYER, 15, of Edina (photo R), that's who. Iyer was nominated for JOY last year. Very few 14-year-olds can make that claim. And a win on Saturday would not be her first. in 2018, she won the Cinco Du Mayo Short Course Du in 58:19, which torched the previous junior CR. 

The girls junior course record at Oakdale was set back in 2013 by Shannon Rudin. Her time was 1:18:33. We think that Macy is ready to take that down, assuming of course, that this year's courses haven't bee altered. (Spring is road construction season, after all.)

We also expect the men's 65-69 course best to fall. The current record--1:18:17--was set eight years ago by a totally cool guy from Osceola named Mike Colaizy. We think it has stood long enough. So, weather permitting, we believe that LUKE HARNED, 66, of Mahtomedi (top photo) will lower the mark.

We've been talking about Oakdale's standard distance race. Remember, a Long Course and Reverse Du have been added this year, so there's something for everyone.

Have you signed up yet? If you haven't, we sure hope you will, and that we will see you at Lake Elmo Park Reserve on Saturday morning. RACE WEBSITE