Race Previews

BH #34 Preview....

Thursday, 29 July 2021 00:10

BREWHOUSE TRIATHLON PREVIEW - The list of entrants that Matt Evans, who is a total HOOT!, let us look at last week reveals that this year's BH races will have more entrants than in 2019. That is a good thing.

Now, for scheisse and giggles, let's make some predictions....

OLYMPIC PREDICTIONS: WINNERS - We won't bet against perennial favorites JOSH BLANKENHEIM and ELAINE NELSON, even though Nelson is coming off a successful (3rd woman overall!) long course debut at Chisago last Sunday. Josh can always be counted on to pop a sub-2-hour time, which very few in our region can match.

As for podIum finishers, we see emerging athletes LISA FILZEN and JEREMY KERSHAW as earning spots in their gender's overall Top 3s. PETER COENEN is also a good bet to fight over 2nd and 3rd in the men's race. EMMA WARD, 20, has a shot at a Top 3. We'd like to see that happen.

OLYMPIC AGE GROUP - TODD STRUCKMAN appears to be a lock in the 50-54M category, and ANDREW BROADMORE could claim the 45-49M title. JOHN KELLEY Iis our pick to win the 55-59M division.

For the women, we like the way DAWN LABIOSA is racing this year, so she's our 55-59W choice.

Interestingly, and we are seeing more and more of this in recent years, Brewhouse's Sprint race, especially on the women's side, promises to be even more competitive than the Olympic event.

SPRINT WINNERS - Duh! MIKE WARD and SHYANNE MCGREGOR. Mike won the sprint seven times. Make that eight on Sunday. And McGregor was the 2020 MInnesota Triathete of the Year. She's a special talent. The record she set here in 2019--1:05:03--was jaw-dropping, and landed her in 3rd place overall. Expect more of the same this weekend.

So, who will fill out the rest of the podium? BETTINA KEPPERS should be a lock. She's a two-time winner here and former course record holder. Plus, he's racing well this season. She's our silver medal pick.

JENA OGSTON, CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN and KATIE BENZIGER finished 3rd, 4th, 5th at Timberman Sprint and should repeat that order Island Lake next Sunday

These athletes should win their respective AGs: MORGAN BELL (19U), RYAN SALINE (45-49M), DAN DUFF (55-59M), JEFF MELBY (60-64M), ROBERT KRANZ (70-74M) and CONNIE MEEK (75-79W). 

BH #34, like all the prior editions, especially those since 2012 when the race relocated to Island Lake, should be an epic experience. You might still be able to get in. Vist the event website to find out: LINK