Three hundred athletes are expected to descend on the bucolic community of Waseca in southern Minnesota on Sunday for the inaugural Waseca Triathlon.Eden Praire's Dan Cohen comes in as the men's favorite in the 1/3-iron and is expected, along with Richfield's Steve Sander and Minnetonka's Brett Lovaas, to burn up the lightning-fast bike course. If Dan wins, it will be his 3rd victory in his last four starts.
National class master Doug Davis of Lakeville, will set the bar high for the 40-and-over crowd and will probably crack the overall Top 5.
A pair of Rochesterites, Johanna Hall and Diana Koepp, should garner podium spots in the women's 1/3-IM. Hall should reach the top step. 2009 Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Suzie Finger, who won the Chaska Triathlon, also has a shot at a Top 3 finish.
In the companion sprint course race, it appears that Red Wing's Jesse Nelson will be the man to beat. A win on Sunday would be his 3rd of the season.
Women's short course favorites include Michelle Creasman of Morristown, Jennifer Rabbitts of Rochester and Amy Klosterman of White Bear Lake.
UPDATE: The Waseca Tri had filled.
