Race Coverage

People Stuff...

Tuesday, 21 June 2011 03:20

Newsy Notesy Stuff - Congratulations are in order! According to our records, Duluth's premier multisportsman, Brian Bich (photo L), now 45, recorded his 40th career triathlon win last Saturday at the Dakota Man near Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

One of America's most decorated amateur triathletes, Bich is a former USAT Master of the Year (2008), an award he's been nominated for three times, and was US Athlete of the Year Honorable Mention in 2005. He has won nine MMAs, four of which were for Triathlete of the Year, and has cracked the overall Top 10 at Nationals on four occasions. And he has twice reached the podium at the Best of the US National Championship (2005, 2008)....

mike & beth

A great athlete, Brian is an even greater human being. A world class husband and father and teacher, and a wonderful friend. MTN congratulates Brian Bich on all that he has accomplished in his life.

* Mike Colaizy, 61, of Osceola, WI, has won his AG in all four of the multis he's entered this far in 2011--Oakdale Du, Apple, Trinona Oly & RochesterFest Oly--and has rewritten course records each time. Whadda stud!

hands Colaizy is a super nice guy who married Beth (cool photo R), his HS sweetheart, 41 years ago. They are as inseparable today as they were back in the 70s. How cool is that!

Beth is totally nice, too, and VERY pretty and has a wry sense of humor. A natural brunette, her hair is now blond and worn short. It looks great.

Mike and Beth were holding hands at RochesterFest.

* Can you believe it?

Believe what, you say?

laura That 25 adult multisport events have already been contested this season? It feels like things just got started and the racing year is 1/3 complete. Whoa!

Here's a stat that may interest you: Of those 25 races, six have been won by masters men. In other words, men over the age of 40 have won 24% of the time.

And of those 25 events, masters women have been victorious eight times, i.e. 32% of the races thus far have been won by 40+ females.

We think these are cool statistics.

And speaking of masters, seven female 40-plussers cracked the overall Top 10 at Lake Minnetonka last Saturday. Check it out: 1. Heidi Keller-Miler, 46; 2. Sarah Mercer, 43; 3. Ann Snuggerud, 43; 4. Jan Guenther, 52; 6. Laura Swartz, 44; 9. Angie Hop-Mracek, 40; 10. Amy Klosterman, 49.

FYI, almost half of the Top 10 guys at LMT were over the age of 40: 2. Tony Schiller, 53; 4. Tom Camp, 45; 8. Taggart Downare, 41; 10. Tom Pettit, 42.

(Hazy Facebook Photo L - Laura Swartz. Goshdarnit, we felt it was about time we posted a shot of Laura. She has a great smile, doesn't she?)

What do these stats tell us?

They clearly prove that Minnesota's masters totally rock!

* Sunday's RochesterFest Olympic was the kick-off event of the inaugural Minnesota State Championship Series. The following people were crowned 2011 Minnesota State Olympic Champs:

* Overall - Daniel Hedgecock (St. Paul) & Ruth Brennan Morrey (Rochester)

* 19-Under - Tyler Hecht (Somerset, WI)

* 20-24 - Daniel Hedgcock (St. Paul) & Claire Bootsma (Minneapolis) - FYI, Dan and Claire spent a portion of their prize money on lunch at--where else?--McDonald's. charlie