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Borderline Unbelievable...

Wednesday, 30 November 2016 23:10

On the surface, the women's Performance of the Year award may seem controversial, but as far as the Selectors were concerned, it really wasn't.

Here's why:

- Kortney Haag's course record - 2:10:08--at Buffalo Olympic was the fastest Olympic-ish time by a Minnesota woman last season. Her margin was 50 seconds and she beat a very strong field. Why wasn't this the POY? Because it didn't blow our collective minds. Kortney's career PR at this distance is 2:08.

- Diane Hankee beat the deepest women's field of the year at the Apple Duathlon. It was an awesome result, but it did not blow our minds. Had her time been a minute-or-two faster, her effort would have contended for the award.

- Erin Hyndman-Farrens' 10:02:29 3rd place finish at Ironman Louisville. This effort blew our minds. A PR by 12 minutes and the 2nd fastest time by a Minnesota woman ever, this wonderful effort would have won the award most years.

But not in 2016....

The Committee agreed that Hanna Grinaker's victory at Lake Waconia, where she pulled three women to times that bettered the old women's race mark, was the POY. Kort, Diane, and even Erin, turned in times that weren't all that surprising, whereas Hanna's 1:30:00, a CR by 3:05!--was borderline unbelievable. It not only redefined the women's performance standards at the LWT, it actually redefined the men's standards,too. HIstorically, the time differential between elite amateur men and EA woman was in the 13-15 minute range. Sean Cooley lowered the men's CR to 1:20:00 this year, but only managed to beat Hanna by 10-minutes. A 1:25 used to be considered elite range for men. It isn't now.

Not since Heather Lendway's 2nd year (2013), has a Minnesota amateur managed to take that big of a bite out of a course record at an event where the previous record was not considered to be soft.

Photo - Sean Cooley and Hanna Grinaker after their record-setting performances at Lake Waconia.