Race Previews

Buffalo Olympic Stuff...

Monday, 27 May 2019 23:10

14th BUFFALO OLYMPIC PREVIEW - Historically, this race has been one of our state's most competitive, and 2019 will be one of the most competitive yet, especially on the women's side. On the list we saw last week, four of Minnesota's national-class talents had enrolled. In alpha order, they are:

HANNA GRINAKER - Winner of nine races in 18 starts, and having only missed the podium on one occasion (4th at Superiorman in 2016), Hanna comes into the race as the clear favorite. She is arguably the most talented female amateur multisportswoman in the US right now. She raced at Buffalo in 2016, her rookie season, and finished 2nd in a jaw-dropping 2:10:58. It was only her second race, the first coming just the day before in a victorious effort at New Bri.

KORTNEY HAAG - Kort has 20 career victories, including her course record win at Buffalo Olympic in 2016. She had also podiumed here on three other occasions.

CHRISTINA ROBERTS (photo L) - Christina has won 22 tris in her career, and she has podiumed at Buffalo Olympic three times.

BECKY YOUNGBERG - At 44, Becky is faster than ever, which is saying a lot. The former Minnesota Triathlete of the Year won five races in 2018. Her only Buffalo apearance was in 2007, where she won the sprint course women's title. Youngberg has 43 career multisport victories....

Other top women who might decide to pop in include three-time Bufalo Olympic champ ELAINE NELSON as well as KELLY TROM and MAGGIE WEISS. And if reigning National Champion GABY BUNTEN were to show (her fiance is racing), then the field depth would rival any race in the country this year.

And as excited as we are to see the above ladies duke it out, there is another athlete we will be watching  closely. Her name is VANESSA NAGEL and her 2018 results suggest that she might be destined for regional stardom.

We have the feeling that the two guys--WADE CRUSER and SEAN COOLEY--who were our state's Triathletes of the Year in 2018 and 2017, respectively, will find their way to the start line on Sunday. And it's possible that two-time Buffalo Olympic winner, MATT PAYNE, may also be on hand. If they are, the men's field will be just as formidable as the women's.

In alpha order, here are the guys who were enrolled as of last week:

JOSH BLANKENHEIM -  Duluth's numero uno male triathlete, Josh has cracked the Top 5 here four times, including a 2nd in 2015 and a 3rd in 2010. His best time on this course is 1:59:32.

JOSH MORK - A Most Improved nominee in 2018, Josh proved with his 2nd place performance at Lake Wake Waconia last year that he is capable of giving our region's best a run for their money. FYI, Waconia had the deepest men's field of the year in 2018.

KRIS SPOTH (photo R) - If fence-riders Cooley, Cruser or Payne don't show up next Sunday, then Kris would be our pick to win the race. He's demonstrated at Maple Grove, which he's won multiple times, that he excels at Olympic distance. His PR on 32-mile courses is 1:53 (2014 Collegiate Nationals).

As anxious as we are to see how Vanessa Nagel fares this weekend, the same can be said about JASON LIEBSCH, a Minnesotan who has spent most of the last half-dozen years in Texas. His results in 2015 were especially impressive, though it appears he hasn't raced as frequently, or as competitively, since. FYI, back in 2006, he finished 2nd at the Minneapolis Triathlon.  RACE WEBSITE