FEATURES

Mighty Sophomores...Part I

Tuesday, 19 April 2011 04:05

Photos - Dan Hedgecock - Dan & a very pretty girl - Dan running very fast - Dan trying to surf in a river

Minnesota's Rookie class of 2008 was truly awesome. It featured ROY nominees Kortney Haag, Patrick Parish, Lydia Novotny and Karla Valusek Strom and several others--Katherine Schlaefer, Brooke Larsen, Joanna Hall and Greta Simpson--who have since established themselves within our region's elite ranks....

The Freshman Class of 2010 was not nearly as deep as '08s, BUT it probably had more Top End talent. ROY nominees Jenny Shaughnessy, Sam Janicki, Daniel Hedgecock and Claire Bootsma combined for 13 wins and 18 podiums, whereas their 2008 counterparts posted six victories and 13 Top 3s between them.

The question that lingers is: Will last year's rooks go on to enjoy the same level of success that the 2008ers have? Will Sam and Dan be able match what Patrick Parish has accomplished? Will they have seasons with double digit wins? Will they be nominated for US Athlete of the Year?

Shaughnessy has already surpassed all of her rookie predecessors and if she stays healthy, may find herself in the running for the US AOY award this year. Too bad she moved to North Carolina. Our loss is their gain.

The question of how far behind Jenny and Kortney is Bootsma at this stage of her career is an interesting one. She may be closer than you might think. A little coaching an upgraded equipment should help.

In her sophomore year, Kortney was ranked #2 on Team Minnesota. While we won't predict that Claire will match that ranking this year, we do believe that she has the potential to place in the Top Five.

2011 is going to be an exciting and revealing year.

MTN has asked Sam, Dan and Claire to comment on the upcoming season; to discuss their goals and expectations. We'll kick this series of interviews off with some Q & A with Daniel Hedgecock, who sometimes wears DKT's clothes (photo).

MTN - Tell us about your off season. Living and training with DKT must be interesting. Are you optimistic about your sophomore year in the sport?

DH - After this winter I've started using the term "out of season" instead of off season. There really hasn't been much off about it. Running and biking were toned down until March, but I spent a lot of hours at the pool. I can see why DKT is so fast, he trains at a much higher level than anyone I've known and I've been trying to keep up.

I am optimistic going into this second season and know that I'm going to race faster than last year. My "out of season" training during 09-10 was very light due to working and taking time off from competing after college. But after last season I quit my corporate gig and am investing everything I have in going pro as a triathlete. Luckily I have a job at Gear West now, which is of course the Midwest's greatest bike and triathlon store. I'm more focused on training and nailing all of the secondary aspects of training than I have been in years.

MTN - After your stellar rookie season, many of your peers expect big things from you in 2011. MTN certainly does. What do you expect from yourself this season?

DH - My number one expectation is to grow in the sport. I have a lot to learn racing 2+ hour events, and plenty of room for improvement in the swim and bike. From a race standpoint, I've set a goal of being in the top three at Age Group Nationals, the Hy-vee Championships and the Dallas LTF Championships. A lot of people will probably say that I'm over-reaching compared to my accomplishments last year, but I believe that if you don't dream big you'll never be great.

MTN - You're racing at St. Anthony's on May 1. A podium finish there will thrust you into the national spotlight. Are you ready for that?

DH - 100 percent. I love high pressure races.