Race Coverage

Bringing the Joy!

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 23:10

GRANITEMAN CLEARWATER COVERAGE - Women's Race - Where to begin? We could talk about the emergence of the top two female finishers, SHYANNE MCGREGOR and ANNA RAINER? Or we could start by talking about the three age group records that were set?

Or the return of GRETA DANIELSON-KOPPY?...

Or we could discuss the junior girls, who, once again, put on a great show?

Or we could start by mentioning the palpable, unrestrained JOY that the ladies brought to the proceedings. But instead of using a bunch typed words, let's allow the photos highlighted in this post to tell their two-thousand word tales. (#564 is MCKAYLA BAUERLY of Duluth. #695 is JANICE OCAMPO STANFORD of Bloomington.) Good stuff, huh?

Next, let's congratulate the three women who reset  some AG records, starting with LISA HINES, 57, of Sauk Rapids, who has long excelled in Graniteman races. At Big Lake she lowered her division's mark by a chunky 2:45. Last Sunday at Clearwater she took an even chunkier bite out of the 55-59W apple: 6:23!

NANCY BAUER, 73, of Champlin, came into the race hoping that no one would break the 65-69W mark she set in 2016. No one did. Now in her 70s, she raced unapposed on Sunday, making her the only woman in the 11-year history of G-Man Clearwater to own two age group records.

PAIGE DANIELSON set the girls' stout junior record--1:16:22--back in 2014. It stood until last weekend when MACY IYER, 16, of Edina, managed to shave off four seconds. Danielson placed 4th overall in the women's race in 2014. Iyer matched that placing. 

And speaking of the DANIELSON girls, Paige's older sister GRETA podiumed last Sunday. Greta is a former two-time Minnesota junior of the year who left the state tri / du scene about eight years ago to attend NDSU, where she would run and fall in love. Now living and working in Ames, Iowa, Greta Danielson-Koppy, returned to  Minnesota in 2019, where she raced at Apple and Square Lake 70.3. Cracking the Top 5 and both events, she proved that she's still "got it!" At clearwater, she finished 3rd! 

Great to have you back, Greta. Don't be a stranger.

With the exception of BELLA BUENTING, 17, who only raced once this season, the junior girls have taken turns beating each other this year. This is exciting stuff. MACY IYER, 16 prevailed in record time last weekend, but lost rather handily to SIMONE LUNDQUIST, 17, at Green Lake. Racing on the heels of a brilliant 3rd place performance the previous day at Young Life, Lunquist, like Iyer, a former Junior of the Year nominee, did not possess her signature aggression and  finishing sprint. She was hurting. She did manage a Top 10 effort though, taking 9th almost four minutes off Iyer's pace.

Following a year off in 2019, 2018 Junior of the Year ARIANA WERTS, got back in the game at Big  Lake. Her rust showed. Four teen girls outraced her. At Clearwater, however, she finished 6th, ahead of Lundquist and  CAROLINE PETERSON, 18, who outraced her two weeks ago. Only Iyer had a faster time among the  junior girls.

The women who placed 1-2 at Clearwater are the clear frontrunners for the 2020 Most Improved honor. Because her head-turning 9:47 at Ironman Florida last November applies to her 2020 resume, the addition of her dominant effort last weekend sets  SHAYANNE MCGREGOR up nicely for Triathlete of the Year recognition. Her terrific bike and run splits on Sunday delivered her to the finish line in 1:11:21, the second fastest women's clocking here ever. It also provided her with a 4:22 margin of victory over runner-up ANNA RAINER, who's two Graniteman efforts this season yielded a 4th and a 2nd. She was not even on the MMH performance radar in 2019. Very impressive emergence.

Anna's 1:15:43 was faster than four of the previous winning times here.

So, the G-Man Clearwater women brought at ton of excitement to the event. They also brought a ton of joy, which is a beautiful thing, you must agree.  RESULTS