Race Previews

2023 Chisago Preview...Updated *!

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2023 CHISAGO PREVIEW - Below are some of the elite amateur triathletes that have enrolled in Sunday's races, which are celebrating their 17th anniversary.

DAN ARLANDSON, 47 (70.3) - Dan was first Master at both Des Moines and Gulf Coast 70.3s this season. A consist 4:20 performer at the half IM distance.

SEAN COOLEY, 38 (70.3) (Photo) - Winner of six halves in his tri career, he won the 2017 version of this race in 4:06:52 (non wetsuit).

MAGGIE FOURNIER,  48, WI (70,3) - Chisago PR of 4:42:39. Two time podium finisher here.

JAN GUENTHER, 64 (70.3) - Owner of two AG records at Chisago. She's undefeated in age group competition this tear. No surprise there.

BETH HASSLER, 67 (70.3) - Two-time Ironman Wisconsin AG winner. Could set a 656-W record. in Sunday.

* CARYN HERRICK, 33 (70.3) - Last year's runner-up is this year's favorite to win the women's title. She coming off a PR effort at Door County, where she threw down a 4:37:47.

DAVID KOPPEL,  37 (70.3) - A half IM PR of 4:14:10, David finished 2nd @ Tulsa 70.3 earlier this season.

BRANDON LEE, 42 (70.3) - Vastly improved in 2023, Brandon has an AG win at Des Moines this year, and a silver at Chattanooga....

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Strong Women's Field to Compete at Tri West...

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TRI WEST SPRINT PREVIEW Part II - The strong women's field has already been assembled for next Sunday's Tri West, and additional credentialed athletes should be added this week. Based on the list received last week, here are some of the women to watch:

JAN GUENTHER, 63 (Photo) - Olympic - Three starts in 2023 with three wins to show for it. Our clear favorite to outrace all women over age 50.

HELEN GUNTHER, 65 - Sprint - AG winner at Lake Minnetonka, Helen is our pic to win the 65-69W age group in the Sprint.

ELENA HENGEL, 27 - Olympic - The only woman to beat Elena this year is two-time National Champion Heather Lendway. Heather is unable to race on Sunday, thus Elena, who won last year's Tri West Sprint, becomes the woman to beat.

MACY IYER, 19 - Sprint - A former Junior of the Year, if Macy races like she did at Buffalo Sprint last month, she should finish in the Top 3. 

ANDREA MYERS, 46 - Olympic -A five-time Master of the Year, Andrea should be the fastest female 40-plusser on Sunday and could crack the women's overall Top 5. ...

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Tri West Preview - Part I - The Men...

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TRI WEST PREVIEW - This is the first of two Tri West preview posts. This one discusses the men who are likely to fare well. The next one deals with the women's field. Note that the list of entrants we are using is over a week old, and more talented triathletes will most certainly enroll between now and race day (July 23). We plan to update information as it comes to us. We'll do so in the MTN posts and on MTN's Facebook page. 

 

JOE ADRIAENS- Olympic - Two podiums in two starts this season. He could land on the Top Step next weekend.

SAMEUL HAUCK - Olympic - His 3rd at Lake Minnetonka tell us that he should race at the front next Sunday.

CHUCK HENGEL, 59 - Sprint - Undefeated in his AG in three statrs in 2023. He's our pick to win the 55-59M.

BRETT LOVAAS - Sprint - He won last year's sprint race....

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Meet the Fargo-Moorhead Tri Club...

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By Mike Combs

Local triathlon clubs are great for the triathlon community and are a wonderful way for athletes to train together. When you go to a triathlon in Minnesota, you see athletes with tri club attire from so many different clubs. Tri West Triathlon is going to highlight the many great clubs around our great state, along with hosting the first annual Minnesota Triathlon Club Championship. Between now and Tri West, there will be articles from interviews from different triathlon clubs....

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2023 Timberman Olympic Preview...

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TIMBERMAN OLYMPIC PREVIEW - For the entrants list that we received last week, here, in alpha order, are some of the players who we expecy to be competitive next Saturday:

JOSH BLANKENHEIM, 42 (Photo on Page 2) - Winner here last year and in 2019, Josh also has three 2nd place awards from this race. Timberman is his first tri of the season, yet we think that, based on muscle memory, he is nevertheless the man to beat. A win would be the 15th of his multisport career.

JAN GUENTHER, 64 - Jan owns two divisional records from the prior course, and one from the current route, which has been in place since 2013. She finished 3rd overall here in 2022, which will be hard to match that this weekend. She should nevertheless crack the women's overall Top 10 and win her AG by a ton, as she has already done this year at Maribella 70.3 (ESP) and Lake Minnetonka.

DIANE HANKEE, 46 - Winner of 42 multis in her career, Diane could reach the overall podium this weekend. She should win her 45-49W AG.

BETH HASSLER, 67 - Owner of the 55-59W record here, and divisional champ here last year, Beth should once again win her AG. FYI, Beth won her AG at BIrkie in '22. Also, Beth is a HOOT! ...

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Minnesota's Destination Triathlon!

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TIMBERMAN SPRINT PREVIEW - Next Saturday's Timberman Sprint, the 38th edition thereof, will once again feature the "usual suspects," and we couldn't be happier about that. We are focusing on the women's race here, with BETTINA KEPPERS and TARA MAKINEN, with ten T-Man wins between them, on top of the ticket, with JENA OGSTON ever in pursuit. (Ogston won in 2015 by the slimmest T-Man margin ever: 2-seconds. Super exciting race.)

But there is one non-usual suspect that can shake things up this year. Her name is LISA FILZEN, a former Most Improved nominee who had raced Timberman's Olympic event before, but is making her Sprint debut on Saturday. A glance at the Buzz Ryan results in 2021, where she placed behind only ELAINE NELSON, but ahead of CHRISTEL KIPPENHAN, who won't be racing this year because she's gearing up for the World Sprint Championships in her native Germany, and Ogston was all we needed to tag her a contender.

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