Race Previews

Big Lake Preview III - The Women...Updated...

Saturday, 25 July 2020 23:10

GRANITEMAN BIG LAKE PREVIEW #3 - Today we are discussing the female frontrunners based on a list we saw more than a week ago. We suspect that other contenders have either enrolled or will do so before the first wave is launched on August 1.

Here are five athletes who we believe will vy for spots on the women's podium:

JENNA HORNER, 22 (photo L) – If Myer's COVID recovery takes her out of contention for the win on August 1, then we believe that Horner and Kristina Swenson will fight over the Top Step. Jenna improved significantly in the last half of the 2019 season wherein she was able to nip Swenson by one second at Sprint Nationals, and by a substantial margin at Olympic Nationals. Swenson, however, beat her in their prior confrontation at High Cliff Olympic in 2018. Horner's bike and run creds are superior to Swenson's, but Kristina has a large advantage in the water. She'll need a big lead in the first leg to hold off Horner. In the end, though, we think that Jenna will collect her first tri victory on Minnesota soil....

MACY IYER, 16 – A grizzled veteran at 16, Macy has an outside shot at a podium. In her favor is that she has already raced this season, doing a regional DL championship in Iowa.

ANDREA MYERS, 44 – Winner of seven races since 2013, and recipient of four Master of the Year nominations, Andi will not be in top form on August 1 thanks to COVID-19. Still, we aren't ready to kick her off the podium. She faced Swenson at Lake Minnetonka, whose distance is slightly longer than Big Lake's, last year and came out on top by nearly two minutes. We will find out just how big of a bite the coronavirus took out of Myer's speed and/or endurance next Saturday.

SHELLEY OSTRANDER, 34 – Sword-weilding Shelley (photo R) is a wild card. Winning four races, and recording double-digit podium finishes in the last half dozen years, Ostrander may turn some heads at Big Lake.

KRISTINA SWENSON, 23 – We've talked a lot about her already. Yes, she could win on Saturday, but she will need her best effort to make that happen.

UPDATE:  ISABELLA BUENTING, 17 - The 2019 Female  Minnesota Junior of the Year has recently enrolled and should podium next Saturday, perhaps even win. At Lake Minnetonka lasy year, she outraced Myers and Swenson. 

JENNIFER NEUMAN, 50 - Another new registrant is Jen Neuman, who has podiumed at Big Lake Olympic in the past. Winner of 11 multisport races in her career, she'll be a definite Top 5 contender next Saturday.

CARYN HERRICK, 29 - 2019 Rookie of the Year runner-up Caryn Herrick has just sign-up. Her win at Hopkins to cap last season has us thinking that she may be the one to beat on Saturday. We can't wait to get to Big Lake. 

Have you registerd yet? If not, link HERE.