Race Previews

MSCS Kick-Off...

Friday, 17 June 2011 03:00

(Photo - Lori Deschamps and Shannon Donley, Alaska's premier multisportswomen sprinting for the finish line at the 2009 Moose Nugget --great name!--Triathlon. Lori will be one of the favorites at RochesterFest Olympic on Sunday.)

RochesterFest Preview - Sunday's RochesterFest Olympic Triathlon is the kick-off event of the inaugural Minnesota State Championship Series and will be recognized as the Minnesota State Olympic Championship. Not surprising, the deepest field in the race's four year history will be on hand.

How strong is the field?

A glance at the registration list tells us that RFO has drawn the 2nd best men's field of the year to date. Only the Gear West Duathlon can claim to have pulled more talent. But not that much more...

Prize money will be paid to the Top 5 men and women and many great athletes will be going home empty handed. Here are some of the boys and girls who hope to grab a slice of the pecuniary pie:

MEN (Alpha):

* Jeff Fleig, 41, Onalaska, WI - Winner of the 2011 Got Energy Triathlon.

* Daniel Hedgecock, 24, St. Paul - He'll be going for his fifth consecutive win on Sunday. This young man is special, perhaps one of the Top 3 amateur dudes in the US right now.

* David Holden, 43, North Hudson, WI - A Minnesota Master of the Year nominee in 2010, David's coming off a victory last week at Fairmont Olympic.

* Alex Hooke, 26, Rochester - His career resume features a 1st and a 3rd here. He's coming off a strong effort (2nd amateur) at Trinona last Sunday. He should pocket some dinero this weekend.

* Thaddeus Ingersoll, 41, St. Paul - A breakout season in '10 and a 5th last week at Manitou suggests that the man with the old timey first name has an outside shot at a payday.

* Sam Janicki, 25, Maplewood - Sam's won nine races in the last 1.25 seasons. We're anxious to see how he fares against Dan Hedgecock. Yes, there should be some money in it for Big Sam.

* Chad Millner, 34, Eden Prairie - A national level duathlete who hasn't raced in too many tris in the last two years. Still, we wouldn't be surprised if he finished in the fourth or fifth spot on Sunday.

* Kevin O'Connor, 40, Medina - A major force on the national and regional scenes for more than 20 years, Kevin will make some money on Sunday and may even land on the podium.

* Ross Weinzierl (photo L), 24, St. Paul - Amiable guy with extremely hairy legs, Ross's improvement over the last two seasons has been fun to watch. Yes, he has a chance to make some dough in Rochester. He placed 5th here in 2010, albeit against a thinner field.

There are nine guys listed above. Who will round out our predicted Top 10? We think Troy Anderson, Andy Schiesl and Mario Minelli are the most likely candidates. Our gut says that Troy will be the man.

The women's Olympic field is not quite as deep as the men's, but will feature some great match-ups. Who will make money on Sunday?

WOMEN (Alpha):

* Claire Bootsma (photo below R), 24, Minneapolis - With two wins and two 2nds this season, Claire has emerged as a true star. We think she'll pick up her 3rd win on Sunday, which would bring her career win total to six. Not bad when you consider that she did her first tri in late August last year. Like Hedgecock, Bootsma is special.

* Veronica Bond, 39, Rochester - Veronica was 3rd here in 2010. She was also 3rd earlier this month at Buffalo Olympic. Yes, there should be some dollars in it for her this weekend.

* Ruth Brennan Morrey, 35, Rochester - Surprise winner at this year's Falls Duathlon, we don't know what to expect from this occasional multisporter. An accomplished runner, if she isn't too far back coming into T2, there may be a check waiting for her at the finish line.

* Lori Deschamps, 41, Anchorage, AK - Lori should give Claire fits. Her career resume includes a Top 5 overall at Nationals (2008), an 8th at the 2007 Best of the US Championship, and a 5th earlier this season at Escape From Alcatraz. On a single weekend in 2009, she visited friends or family in Minnesota and raced at Liberty Olympic, which she won in 2:10:15!, on Saturday, and Manitou, where she placed 3rd behind Cathy Yndestad and Jeanne Fleck, on Sunday. Deschamps, who is a total hoot, should finish no lower than 2nd on Sunday.

* Diane Hankee, 34, Lino Lakes - Diane made Team Minnesota last year and has 10 career wins. We'd be surprised if she didn't reach the podium on Sunday.

Are the overall race records--Sam Hauck's lofty 1:55:48, set in 2009, and Cathy Yndestad's solid 2:13:08, set in '08--in jeopardy?

OH YEAH! It's going to be a great race!

As for the companion Sprint event, we fully believe that former Rochesterarian, Joanna Hall, will win for the 3rd consecutive year. Can she match her brilliant 2010 CR, 57:33? We'd like to think so.

And the guys? It won't be easy for Joanna Hall's husband, Mederic, to repeat. He'll have to contend with John Heinlein, Matt Priess, whose totally magma-hot girlfriend, Justine Jordan, will be making her tri debut on Sunday, and two-time winner Jesse Nelson, who was 2nd here in 2010. Based on Jesse's smokin' time at Buffalo Sprint (58:43!) back on June 5, we think that he'll be the first guy in.

GREAT NEWS: RochesterFest will keep its registration open, which means that you can register today, tomorrow or on-site on the morning of the race. Visit the website for more information. WEBSITE