Race Coverage

4th, 6th, 8th...

Tuesday, 06 September 2011 03:20

(Photo - Adam Webber winning the Hy-Vee 5150 National Championship on Sunday.)

Hy-Vee 5150 National Triathlon Championships - Minnesotans shined at Sunday's Hy Vee Championships in Des Moines, starting with Dan Hedgecock, who placed 4th against the deepest elite amateur men's field in the U.S. this season. In a 2-3 minute hole after the 1500m swim, Dan worked his way back into contention with a 59:39 bike and a blazing 32:47 run, which was the fastest pedestrian split of the day.

In the end, tall Pennslvania cop, Adam Webber, runner-up for US AOY in 2008 and a pro in 2009-2010, AND one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet,...

took the top step of the podium and the Mini-Cooper and $5150 worth of other stuff that went with it. A former collegiate swim star, Webber enjoyed nearly a minute lead when he de-laked (His split: 18:17!). He needed that margin to hold off uber-cyclist (57:38) / reigning USAT National Champion, Karl Kahsar, of Boulder, Colorado, who placed 2nd, just 19 ticks later.

2009 Triathlete Magazine AOY (USAT AOY Runner-up) Brian Duffy earned the final podium spot. A track and XC runner at Duke, where briefly he was a teammate of Circle Pines' Patrick Parish, the suburban Philadelphian made it an auspicious day for PA's tri-community, what with two of the Top 3 places going to Keystone staters. PA, MN and CO each placed two athletes in the men's overall Top 10.

And speaking of Patrick Parish, he finished 6th on Sunday, his 33:03 close was second only to the split turned in by Hedgecock, who received $2000 worth of stuff for his Top 5 effort.

Hy-Vee 5150 National Championship

1. Adam Webber (PA) - 1:54:36