Race Coverage

Guy Stuff...& More...

Tuesday, 17 July 2012 02:30

(YndeCam Photo - Honorary Minnesotan and totally good guy, Sean Cooley, from Grand Forks, ND, en route to a 5th EA place finish at LTF Tri - Mpls last Saturday.)

MORE LTF - MPLS STUFF- In 2003, Minnesota dudes--Chuck and Phil Smith, who also cracked the Top 10 (6th and 7th) at Shreveport Nationals that year, and Michael Stoick--swept the Elite Amateur podium at Life Time Fitness Tri - Minneapolis. Six of the next seven guys were out-of-staters....

"Our Guys" kinda did it again in 2011. Dan Hedgecock and Patrick Parish grabbed the gold and silver, and Chris Leiferman took the bronze. A U grad from bucolic Truman, Minnesota, Chris had relocated to Fort Collins, Colorado in 2010. Should he still be considered a Minnesotan? A dual citizen, perhaps? Or an expatriate? Not sure.

Our Guys did it for real this year, though, as Hedge repeated and lowered his own CR in the process. Matt Payne and Patrick Parish, who like Hedge, are racing brilliantly and like their EA female counterparts on Saturday, are all worthy of AOY consideration at season's end, grabbed 2nd and 3rd in sub-2 hour clockings. FYI, Hedge, thanks to his win here and at St. Anthony's last April has to be the US Athlete of the Year frontrunner right now. The way these guys perform at Nationals and Hy Vee will determine their post-season award destinies.

Only one more Minnesotan, actually a Hudson guy, placed in the EA Top 10. That was David Holden, 43 (YndeCam photo R), who finished 8th and took the Elite Master crown. With two overall wins, a 3rd and a 4th, plus his EA effort here, Holden is enjoying a (MN) Master of the Year season.

And speaking of border state guys who race primarily on Minnesota earth and water, MTN is totally happy for North Dakota's Sean Cooley, a great guy who finished 5th in Saturday, proving that he truly can bark with the region's Big Dogs. Way to go, Dude!