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Monday, 07 July 2014 08:00

Photo - Great artsy-fartsy YndeCam shot of Matt Payne winning the Best of the US Championship.)

13th Annual MINNEAPOLIS TRIATHLON - Elite Amateur Men - Two of the early frontrunners for 2014 USAT Athlete of the Year nominations are 22-year-old Steve Mantell of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Matthew Payne of Columbia Heights, Minnesota. Though Payne is undefeated in six starts thus far, Mantell probably has the AOY edge at the moment because he has excelled in major "national" events.

Check out Steve's sterling 2014 resume:

- 1st amateur @ Boulder 70.3 - 3:58

- 1st amateur @ Escape From Alcatraz (5th overall)

- 1st amateur @ Havasu Triathlon

- 1st amateur / 3rd overall @ USAT Collegiate Nationals (Olympic)

- 3rd overall @ USAT Collegiate Sprint Nationals....

The Epic-est Battle...

Monday, 07 July 2014 07:00

13th Annual MINNEAPOLIS TRIATHLON - Elite Amateur Women - In 2011, Massachusetts' Catherine Sterling set the women's Elite Amateur course record at the Minneapolis Triathlon. Her time, 2:10:52, should go down hard on Saturday.

How hard?

Our guess is that it will take a 2:07 to win the women's EA title at the 13th annual Life Time Tri - Minneapolis. Why? Because the two women that are currently redefining the amateur standards for American female triathletes will be facing each other.

We're talking about defending USAT National Champion Heather Lendway of St. Paul (photo L), and Dani Fischer, who grew up in Rochester, played collegiate soccer at UW-Madison and now resides in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Lendway was runner-up for USAT Athlete of the Year in 2013 and she is even faster this year, a season in which she is undefeated in five starts with an average margin of victory of 9:42!...

"A Blast!"

Monday, 07 July 2014 00:10

Z-TRI COVERAGE - Brendon O'Flanagan of St. Paul, and Tara Makinen of Grand Rapids, won this Independence Day race for the second time last Friday at majestic Pokegema Lake south of Grand Rapids, and both did so in record time. For BO, who also was victorious here in 2012, his 1:02:07 lowered his own men's course record by more than two minutes. For TM, her time was just less than three minutes faster than her 2013 clocking.

Alone in second place for the guys was 2013 Rookie of the Year nominee, Larry Hosch, who posted an impressive 1:04:37. It was Larry's ninth podium finish in 13 starts. The St. Joseph resident is still looking for his first win, which we predict will happen this season. In fact, it could occur as early as next Saturday at Graniteman-Clearwater.

Also cracking the Top 3 for the men was Alan Dettmer, who is from Fergus Falls, we think. Maybe Alexandria....

Fast Women...

Saturday, 05 July 2014 06:10

According to our records, these are the winningest Minnesota women of the 21st century thus far:

CATHY YNDESTAD - 68 (photo L)

BECKY YOUNGBERG - 36 (photo below)

JAN GUENTHER - 34

MARLO CROSBY - 27

DIANE HANKEE - 21

SUZIE FOX - 18 (Since 2009)

HEATHER LENDWAY - 15 (Since 2012)

RUTH BRENNAN MORREY - 15 (Since 2011)

MICHELLE ANDRES - 15

MARNIE WALTH (ND) - 14 (On MN soil)

JENNY WILCOX - 14....

Stuff About Tritonkids....

Saturday, 05 July 2014 00:10

TritonKids is a youth triathlon event brought to you by Triton Events and Med City Aquatics. This year's event will take place at the Rochester REC Center on August 2 and will offer a unique, safe and challenging event for kids ages 6-17. The swim will take place in the safe environment of the REC Center's swimming pool while the bike and run will transition onto West River Pkwy. The race is a USAT sanctioned event and will be chip timed. All athletes will receive a cool race t-shirt, goodie bag and finishers medal. Awards will be given to top 3 male and female finishers in each age group. Food and refreshments will be provided for all athletes.