ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES..

(Photos: From Top - Nordica, Casey, Suzie & Tara.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Rookie of the Year.

* TARA CROTEAU, 32, Duluth - Tara's Top 10 effort at Gear West last May grabbed our attention. Since then, all but one of her six other performances have been impressive, especially her win at Timberman Short Course and her 4th at the Minneapolis Duathlon.

* SUZIE FINGER, 26, St. Louis Park - Suzie has racked up 9 podium finishes thus far in '09 (she plans to race 1-2 more times), including two victories--Square Lake Sprint and Chaska. Her nomination was a slam dunk.

* CASEY RICHTER, 26, Columbia Heights - It's not easy, even for seasoned veterans, to crack the Top 10 in a Minnesota multi. Rookie Casey, however, has done so three times. A successful half IM debut--a 4:58:23 at Chisago--also enhances her inaugural scorecard.

* NORDICA STOCKER, 23, Minneapolis - Strong mid-season performances--4th at Lake Waconia and 7th at Timberman--combined with solid performances in three other events justify Nordica's nomination.

Other successful rookies receiving serious consideration were Lauren Rantala (19, Eden Prairie) and Leah Prudhomme (30, Andover).

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

JEY PREFERS TURTLEMAN...

Accomplished masters triathlete and nordic skier Jey Carlson (above) plans to vote for Turtleman for "Race of the Year." Here's why:

"The Turtleman Triathlon has long been a favorite of mine. It comes toward the end of the season, it is a great course with an excellent swim section (when the water is deeper and no lightning!) The bike course has some nice straightaways for speed, but also offers a good challenge with plenty of corners. The grassy hill coming out of the bike to run transition provides a great deal of fun. Overall, it is a beautiful race in a covenient suburban setting." - JC

DUATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES..

(Photos: From top - Marlo, Kevin & Julie.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Duathlete of the Year.

* JULIE HULL, 35, Farmington - With three wins--Oakdale, Treadman and Iron Girl--and a 2nd at Turtleman Du--Julie is an obvious choice here. This is her 2nd DOY nomination.

* MARLO MCGAVER, 38, Duluth - Going for her 4th consecutive DOY award, Marlo's '09 resume was highlighted by two HUGE wins--Apple and the Minneapolis Du--and a 2nd (by 1/100th of a second at Gear West!). She was also the 1st US Pro/Elite female (16th overall) at the ITU World Duathlon Championships.

* KEVIN O'CONNOR, 38, Medina - An obvious choice, Kevin truly excelled at run-bike-run in 2009. He won three of the four dus he entered. And his non-winning effort--9th overall / 2nd 35-39M at Duathlon Worlds--was every bit as impressive as any of his regional victories.

Other successful duathletes receiving consideration include Jesse Nelson (33, Red Wing), Jeanne Fleck (44, Proctor), Suzie Finger (26, St. Louis Park) and Diane Hankee (32, Lino Lakes).

The Minnesota Multisport Awards will be presented Academy Awards-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

IT AINT CALLED THE "BEST OF THE U.S." FOR NOTHING...

(Rich Cruse Photos: BOUS '09 Champs Brian Duffy, Jr. & Bethany Handley.)

(Mission Viejo, CA - September 27, 2009) We've come to expect excellence from Duluth's Brian Bich and he has yet to disappoint. Last Sunday he placed 7th in the most competitive head-to-head men's amateur triathlon of the year. On a seriously challenging course, one that previously yielded a 2:05:52 men's course record, Bich threw down an astonishing 1:57:33.

With a time like that, who beat him?

Well, 1st and 4th places were hard earned by Pennsylvania's Brian Duffy, Jr. (1:52:53) and Connecticut's Chris Thomas (1:56:11), the men who appear to be the frontrunners for 2009 U.S. Athlete of the Year. Third went to two-time AOY Honorable Mention Mark Harms (1:55:08) of Wisconsin, who cracked the Top 15 (2nd American) at Tri Worlds two weeks ago. The runner-up spot was earned by mercurial 20-year-old Ohioan Ross Hartley (1:55:00), who has won eight of the nine races he entered this year prior to BOUS, and all in course record time. Fifth went to former German pro Jens Beck (1:56:45), who represented Alaska, and sixth went to Rusty Pruden of Washington, who was only 9 seconds in front of Bich. Pruden has been dominant in Pacific Northwest racing this year and placed 6th overall (3rd 25-29M) at AG Nationals.

As you can see, Brian was in good company.

And then there were the studs who Brian beat. Guys like Nebraska-based Minnesotan Sam Hauck (12th in 1:59:58) and fellow uber-masters Luis De La Torre (10th in 1:59:09), 41, of Hawaii, and Arizona's Cam Hill (18th in 2:02:47).

Eden Prairie's Brook Mutzenberger turned in a respectable effort in the women's BOUS race, which was won by reigning 25-29W national champion Bethany Handley of Oklahoma. She (Brook) placed 17th in 2:19:14, which was almost 5 minutes faster than the old CR. (New "citizen's" course records were set on Sunday. Carlsbad, CA's decorated Charisa Wernick popped a 2:15:36, and Torrance, CA's Ian Mikelson turned in a 2:00:30. No other woman in the 900-member citizen's race dipped under 2:20, while 17 BOUS athletes managed to do so.)

A popular feature of the BOUS event is the Fastest State Competition. The five fastest teams, based on combined times, took home Waterford Crystal awards. Team Wisconsin took the title, as they did in 2007. Their margin over 2nd-placing Team Pennsylvania was 23 seconds.

Team Minnesota placed 7th.

Top 10 2009 FASTEST STATE TEAMS:

1. WISCONSIN - Mark Harms (3rd) & Cindi Bannink (3rd) - 4:04:45

2. PENNSYLVANIA - Brian Duffy, Jr. (1st) & Beth Schutt (4th) - 4:05:07

3. WASHINGTON - Rusty Pruden (6th) & Kimberly Pancoast (2nd) - 4:06:15

4. OHIO - Ross Hartley (2nd) & Andrea Myers (16th) - 4:14:10

5. ALASKA - Jens Beck (5th) & Larrel Lockard (14th) - 4:14:53

6. NEW YORK - Kevin Crossman (13th) & Meghan Newcomer (6th) -4:15:03

7. MINNESOTA - Brian Bich (7th) & Brook Mutzenberger (17th) - 4:16:47

8. IDAHO - Kyle Grisham (15th) & Amy Alexander (7th) - 4:17:02

9. HAWAII - Luis De La Torre (10th) & Maggs Morris (18th) - 4:20:22

10. ARIZONA - Cam Hill (18th) & Kara Middendorf (15th) - 4:21:17

Susan Grant's Inside Triathlon story.

Rich Cruse photography other story links coming soon.

BOUS Men's Results:

BOUS Women's Results:

O'CONNOR CRACKS TOP 10 AT DU WORLDS!

(Concord, NC - September 27, 2009) Kevin O'Connor capped his brilliant multiple-award-nomination-worthy season with a podium finish at the rain-pelted ITU World Duathlon Championships in Concord, NC on Sunday. Placing 2nd in his 35-39 AG, Kevin finished 9th overall. The last time a Minnesota multisporter cracked the Top 10 at a World Championship was in 2000, when two-time US. Female Duathlete of the Year Kristin Miller placed 5th (1st 35-39W) at Du Worlds in Calais, France.

Kevin covered the technical (48 turns on the 40K bike route!) 10K - 40K - 5K route in 1:47:23.

His splits were 33:29 - 54:49! - 17:33.

Two Minnesotans raced in the pro competition. Duluth's Marlo McGaver was the first female American and 16th overall. Her time was 2:12:31, 4:13 behind winner Vendula Frintova of the Czech Republic. St. Paul's David Thompson finished 24th (1:51:04) in the men's race, which was won by U.S. Olympic triathlete Jerrod Shoemaker.

MINNESOTA FINISHERS: Women

* Katie Anderson (Mahtomedi) - 21st 20-24W - 2:27:08

* Tara Croteau (Duluth) - 5th 30-34W - 26th woman overall - 2:08:09

* Tracie Kent (St. Paul) - 13th 35-39W - 42nd woman overall - 2:11:36

* Jill Hughes (Medina) - 21st 35-39W - 2:19:58

* Sonja Daniels (Duluth) - 28th 35-39W - 2:39:33

* Jeanne Fleck (Proctor) - 4th 40-44W - 19th woman overall - 2:06:51

* Heidi Robb (Maple Grove) - 14th 40-44W - 2:20:41

* Amy Woolsey (Sauk Rapids) - 21st 40-44 - 2:29:46

* Denise Baxter (St. Cloud) - 21st 50-54W - 3:02:38

* Pam Stevens (Sartell) - 5th 55-59W - 2:26:27

* Ann Rhea (Plymouth) - 9th 60-64W - 3:06:15

* Jean Wood (Excelsior) - 12th 60-64W - 3:34:28

MINNESOTA FINISHERS: Men

* John Heinlein III (Stillwater) - 16th 20-24M - 1:56:21

* Kyle Fleener (Austin) - 24th 25-29M - 1:57:48

* Michael Wente (Minneapolis) - 26th 30-34M - 2:05:35

* Kevin O'Connor (Medina) - 2nd 35-39M - 9th overall! - 1:47:23

* Dereck Podratz (Lino Lakes) - 25th 35-39M - 2:00:26

* Todd Firebaugh (Woodbury) - 6th 45-49M - 63rd overall - 1:53:42

* James Hannon (Rochester) - 9th 50-54M - 2:00:42

* Rick Christenson (Roseville) - 23rd 50-54M - 2:08:05

* Ken Mogren (Winona) - 14th 60-64M - 2:15:42

* Charles Rhea (Plymouth) - 30th 60-64M - 2:54:31

* Hank Larsen (Glencoe) - 7th 65-69M - 2:24:03

* Bob Bailey (Woodbury) - 9th 65-69M - 2:27:52

Great photography from Paul Phillips of Competitive Image coming soon.

Du Worlds Results:

USAT Press Release.

JULIE OUTRACES 1200 IRON GIRLS!

(Bloomington, MN - September 27, 2009) Farmington's Julie Hull has raced in five duathlons this season.

She's won three of them.

Her most recent du W was posted last Sunday at America's largest women's run-bike-run, Iron Girl-Bloomington. Her margin of victory was substantial (3:35!) and her 2009 Minnesota Duathlete of the Year nomination assured.

IRON GIRL TOP 10:

1. Julie Hull

2. Julia Mairs

3. Suzie Finger

4. Jennifer Drinkwater Anderson

5. Ann Snuggerud

6. Tina Hjeltman

7. Beth Shipston

8. Cindy Blackstock

9. Christine Galbreath

10. Renee Coppock

Iron Girl Results.

(Photos by Erik Hull. From top - Iron Girl '09 women's podium: Julie Hull, Julia Mairs and Suzie Finger.)

KORTNEY WINS AGAIN...

(Waterloo, IA - September 27, 2009) Iowa's Tami Ritchie and Janet McCulloch are very talented athletes. Heck, Ritchie cracked the overall women's Top 10 at AG Nationals (3rd 25-29W) last month.

And Illinois' Emily Dewald has turned in several extraordinary performances this season and is arguably the most successful female rookie on the U.S. tri scene. (Emily's first career tri was Peregrine Charities '08, where she placed 5th.)

These are the girls that New Hope's Kortney Haag (pictured) beat last Sunday at the 2nd annual Peregrine Charities Triathlon in Waterloo, IA.

"Kort," as she's known to friends and fam, won the race in course record time. The 2008 Minnesota Rookie of the Year, lowered the CR set by Sarah Grunner (IL) last year by 57 seconds. The win was her 3rd in a row, and 5th of her young career.

RECORDS FALL IN FARIBAULT...

(Faribault, MN - September 26, 2009) Mark Bongers and his staff at Final Stretch deserve kudos for the contributions they're making to the multisport lifestyle in Minnesota. Until two year's ago FS was a run production company which also produced one triathlon (St. Croix Valley Sprint & Olympic). Today they can be correctly perceived as proficient tri and du producers. There multis--the Cannon Falls Duathlon, the Liberty Half & Olympic, St. Croix Valley Races and Saturday's Cannon-Wells Du--are well-executed, well-attended and staged at outstanding venues.

Richfield's Steve Sander picked up his 3rd win and 3rd course record of the season at Cannon-Wells. Last year's winner, Mario Minelli (pictured) of Kasson, placed 2nd this time around and described the men's race in his blog.

Greta Simpson of Minneapolis, posted her 2nd win of '09 on Saturday, and did so in course record time. Second place went to Oakdale's Megan Gerst Rocker. St. Paul's Jennifer Lymburner filled out the women's podium.

Cannon-Wells Results:

COMING ON TUESDAY...

We've just returned from the Best of the US National Championship in Mission Viejo, CA and are anxious to post news from the very busy weekend just passed.

Top Stories...

* Kevin O'Connor medals at Du Worlds and cracks the overall Top 10!

* Brian Bich is the BEST of the Elite Masters at Best of the US...

* Julie Hull's runaway victory at Iron Girl...

* Kortney Haag wins Peregrine Charities Tri...

TRI-NIGHT '09 TICKETS!

Tri-Night '09, featuring guest speaker Coach Troy Jacobson, the "People's Choice Awards" and the Academy Award-style presentation of the 11th annual Minnesota Multisport Awards, will he held at St. Paul College on November 7. Get your tickets HERE!

BIG WEEK AHEAD!

COMING...

* EVENT COVERAGE - ITU World Duathlon Championships, Best of the US National Championship, Cannon-Wells Duathlon, Peregrine Charities Triathlon...

* LIVE TEXT COVERAGE OF THE "BEST OF THE US CHAMPIONSHIP" BEGINNING AT 10:00 AM ON SUNDAY...READ

* "TRIATHLETES CHOICE RACE OF THE YEAR" VOTING...

* ROOKIE OF THE YEAR & MALE MASTER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES...

2009 JUNIOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES...

(Photos: Top - Lauren, Nick and Katherine. Below - Sarah.)

TheMinnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Junior of the Year.

* SARAH DANIELS, 19, Savage - Sarah's season was highlighted by divisional wins at four Midwest Multisport Series races--Gear West, Pigman Sprint, Manitou and Heart of the Lakes. This is Daniels' 2nd JOY nomination.

* KATHARINE LOWREY, 14, Chaska - Katharine set a junior record (7th overall woman!) at Minneman and WON the Youth Elite National Championship.

* NICK MADRINICH, 19, Chaska - An overall win at Chaska and Top 10 finishes at Manitou, Lake Minnetonka and Lake Marion highlight a sweet 2009 resume.

* LAUREN RANTALA, 19, Eden Prairie - This elite nordic skier-turned-triathlete enjoyed a remarkable rookie season. Junior wins at Life Time Fitness Elite and Turtleman, plus a Top 15 finish (2nd junior) at Manitou were impressive enough. Lauren then went to USAT Nationals and won the silver medal in the women's 19U division.

Other juniors receiving consideration were Reilly Daugherty (19, Hibbing), Jeff Hoernemann (18, Andover), Gabby Keller (17, Maple Grove), Brandon Knack (16, Prior Lake), Brandon Onopa (18, Long Lake), Caius Rickard (18, Plymputh), Denver Rogolla (19, Morris), Kyle Serryn (19, Lakeville), Sara Sneer (19, Mankato), Abby Tracy (18, Vadnais Heights), Greta Wilt (17, Minneapolis) and Shelby Woodworth (17, Hutchinson).

All MMA winners will be announced Academy Award-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

* The Junior category consists of boys and girls age 19 and under.

(Photos: Top Row- Heidi & Marnie. Bottom Row- Jeanne & Jan.)

CANNON-WELLS DUATHLON PREVIEW...

The 2nd annual Cannon-Wells Duathlon will feature a vastly larger field and a plethora of record-setting performances.

Only 43 athletes finished the inaugural version of this event. Three times that many should cross the finish line on Saturday.

Mario Minelli's and Lee Franz's course records should go down hard. Steve Sander should trim 2-3 minutes off Super Mario's 1:05:23, and Greta Simpson (pictured) should take a similar bite out of Lee's 1:19:37. (Race distances are 2 miles - 14 miles - 3 miles.) The win would be the 3rd of the season for Sander, and the 2nd of the year for Simpson.

Minelli and Franz should also better their 2008 clockings and could land podium positions. Barring any late sign-ups by elite athletes, Megan Gerst Rocker should crack the women's Top 3.

A VOTE FOR BURRITO UNION..

With voting for the 2009 Triathletes Choice Race of the Year scheduled (actually re-scheduled) to start next week.

Which event do you plan to vote for?

Tim Evanson favors the Burrito Union 5 & 10 Hour Tri.

"I will ... put my vote (and my wife's) towards Burrito Union 5 and 10 hour Tri. I was wearing #6 for the 10 hr solo, and my wife was part of the MN Xtreme relay team. Having never raced that far or that long, I had no idea what to expect. To be ridiculously succint, the event kicked ass. Rod Raymond and co. did an amazing job pulling everything together. From coordinating volunteers, to convincing a State Park to let a bunch of crazies take over for the day, it all added up to a memorable experience. Could you expect anything less from the man who won the first solo Swiss Gigathlon?

"Camping at the site is extremely convienent and Pattison State Park is beautiful, my only regret about the race is that I couldn't see more of the park....The format, while unusual is a great idea; go for as long or as short as you want, stop, have a beer or a nap, cheer on the rest of the field, whatever! It's all good!!

"Due to injury, work and life getting in the way, I didn't get to train as much as I hoped. So, I wanted to use this event as a barometer for signing up for Ironman - Madison. At the end of the day it was an easy decision. I will not be the doing Ironman in Madison. It is the same weekend as Burrito Union and I refuse to miss it, it's just too much damn fun."

"1st Runner Up - Trinona"

"I grew up and went to high school in Winona and my parents still live there. I haven't been involved in tri's that long but I have always thought Winona was the perfect landscape for a tri. Kudos to the race director for making that happen. I used to dread track team workouts on Garvin Heights' hill. Having that included in the Olympic course is craziness and why I opted for the Sprint. I will man up next year, however."

"2nd Runner Up - Mpls Duathlon"

"Team Ortho just keeps raising the bar."

- Tim Evanson

MEDALS FOR MINNESOTANS...

(Photo courtesy of Wayne Kryduba: Kevin O'Connor en route to victory at the inaugural Minneapolis Duathlon.)

Duathlon Worlds are this Saturday and, as with Tri Nationals, Minnesota is sending a small but talented group of participants. Some of them could bring home medals.

Who?

Let's start with the girls.

The female Minnesotans most likely to succeed on Sunday are Jeanne Fleck, 44, and Pam Stevens, 57.

Fleck is capable of winning her division. Her stiffest competition should come from fellow Americans Julie Deery (2008 Duathlon Master of the Year) of Pennsylvania, Kris Kuss of Delaware and Kathleen Hayden of upstate New York.

Karen McKeachie (MI) and 2008 Duathlon Grand Master of the Year Diane Proud (TX) should lead the way in the VERY deep 55-59W division. Pam Stevens has a reasonably good chance to fill out the podium.

Other Minnesota girls who could be competitive in their respective divisions this weekend include 30-34s Sara Viamonte and Tara Croteau, and Ann Rhea in the 60-64 AG.

Now for the guys.

Kevin O'Connor, Todd Firebaugh, Bob Bailey and Hank Larsen could come home with medals. Kevin, in fact, is not only capable of winning the 35-39M category, though Pennsylvanian Todd Wiley, who won the amateur title at the 1998 Duathlon World Championships in St. Wendel, Germany, has other ideas, he (Kevin) has a legitimate shot at an overall top 3-5 finish. (Kevin has won all three of the dus he's entered this season.)

If Todd Firebaugh, 47, races like he did at Apple and Oakdale, he should give divisional favorite Chris Giordanelli of South Carolina, a run for his money.

Bailey and Larsen will be battling for medals in the surprisingly deep 65-69M AG, but don't be surprised if one, or both, of these guys reach the podium.

Other Minnesota men gunning for divisional success include Troy Vargas, 40, and Dereck Podratz, 35.

It should be noted that it is quite possible that foreign athletes will prevent some of our state's finest from finishing in the top 3 in their AGs.

Hey, how will DKT and Marlo fare in the pro race?

PREDICTION: David Thompson and Marlo McGaver will be the fastest American male and female on Saturday. As for the podium, Europeans should sweep the men's spots and claim two of the women's steps. In the absence of Great Britain's amazing Catroina Morrison, the women's race will be won by a Kiwi. Her name is Samantha Warriner.

2009 FEMALE MASTER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES...

Minnesota's Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Female Master of the Year. *

All four of these women performed at a World Class level this season.

* JEANNE FLECK, 44, Proctor - The 2008 Master of the Year was even more amazing in 2009. Her resume includes two overall wins and three podiums in Midwest Multsiport Series races.

* JAN GUENTHER, 50, Mound - Her course record at Lake Minnetonka and amateur victory at Ironman Wisconsin anchor a resume deserving of a USAT Master of the Year nomination. Jan has won the MOY award an unprecedented seven times.

* HEIDI KELLER-MILER, 44, Chaska - Heidi' s five podiums, including two outright wins, in seven starts this summer was reminiscent of her 2007 season, when she was crowned Minnesota Master of the Year.

* MARNIE WALTH, 40, Bismarck, ND - Her Performance of the Year-worthy half IM debut at Chisago--1st amateur/ 2nd woman overall in an astounding 4:23:46--and her masters record effort (2nd overall) at the ultra-competitive Apple Duathlon highlighted her season.

Other masters receiving consideration were Mary Beth Tuttle (46, Pine Springs), Sue Rubens (42, Plymouth), Wendy Bengston (42, Chippewa Falls, WI), Christel Kippenhan (44, Bemidji), Ann Snuggerud (42, Chaska), Laura Swartz (42, St. Louis Park) and Merilee Sander (49, Northfield).

2009 Junior of the Year nominees will be announced on Friday, September 25.

All MMA winners will be announced Academy Award-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

* The Masters category consists of men age 40-59 and women 40-55.

(Photos: Clockwise- Heidi, Jan, Marnie and Jeanne.)

2009 GRAND MASTER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES...

(Photos: Top - Ben Ewers at Lake Waconia. Below - Bob Bailey at The Apple.)

The Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Grand Master of the Year *:

* BOB BAILEY, 65, Woodbury - Bailey has raced in six duathlons thus far this season and won his division in dominating fashion each time. He will be a definite medal contender at the ITU World Duathlon Championships in North Carolina next Sunday.

* BEN EWERS, 63, North Oaks - Undefeated in regional action, Ben has significantly raised the performance bar for men over age 60 in our region and beyond.

* HANK LARSEN, 69, Glencoe - The 2008 GMOY is even faster than he was last year, setting divisional records in four of the six races he entered in 2009.

* PAM STEVENS, 57, Sartell - Seven course records in eight starts for the 10-time Triathlon Today! / Inside Triathlon All American.

Nominees for 2009 Female Master of the Year will be announced on Thursday, September 24.

All MMA winners will be announced Academy Award-style at Tri-Night '09 at St. Paul College on November 7. Will you be there? We hope so.

* The Grand Masters category consists of men age 60 & over and women 55+.

BIG WEEK!

Here are some of the stories that will be posted this week:

* Best of the US - How will Brian & Brook fare?

* Podium Worthy Minnesotans Head for Du Worlds...

* Race Previews - Iron Girl & Cannon-Wells Duathlon...

* Triathletes Choice Race of the Year Voting Begins...

* EMMA Nominations Announced This Week: Grand Masters, Juniors & Female Masters

* Tri-Night '09 Ticket Information...

IS TEAM MINNESOTA PODIUM WORTHY?

The top 5 state teams at the Best of the US National Championship earn special Waterford Crystal awards. In the first four years of the Series, Team Minnesota has landed on the 5-step podium three times, which is more than any other state. (Team Colorado and Team Wisconsin are next in line, having reached the podium twice.)

Will the legacy continue? Will Team Minnesota '09--Duluth's Brian Bich and Eden Prairie's Brook Mutzenberger--crack the top five in the State Team Competition next sunday at this year's BOUS Championship in Mission Viejo, California?

They should.

On paper, the strongest teams will be coming from Pennsylvania--Brian Duffy and Beth Shutt--and Wisconsin--Mark Harms and Cindi Bannink. All four of these athletes are expected to contend for podium spots in the Individual Competition.

Other states sending podium-worthy teams are Alaska (Jens Beck and Larrell Lockard), which won the fastest state competition in 2006, Idaho (Kyle Grisham and Amy Alexander) and Ohio (Ross Hartley and Andrea Myers).

And Minnesota.

Any darkhorses?

Sure. New York (Kevin Crossman and Meghan Newcomer) and Washington (Rusty Pruden and Kimberly Pancoast).

Prediction?

Sure.

1. Wisconsin (Won the Team Competition in 2007)

2. Pennsylvania

3. Minnesota

4. Idaho

5. Ohio

Team Minnesota at the BOUS Championships:

* 6th in 2008 - 3rd - Brian Bich, 16th - Marlo McGaver

* 5th in 2007 - 15th - Jeremy Sartain, 3rd - Cathy Yndestad

* 3rd in 2006 - 9th - Brian Bich, 6th - Cathy Yndestad

* 5th in 2005 - 3rd - Brian Bich, 8th - Emily Deppe

IRON GIRL PREVIEW...

(Julie Hull will be the clear favorite at IGBD on Sunday.)

The 5th annual Iron Girl - Bloomington Duathlon will be contested on Sunday, September 27. Attracting a record 1231 registrants, it will be without many of its usual elite suspects thanks to the fact that the ITU Duathlon World Championships in Concord, NC, are contested on the same weekend.

The most noticeable absentee will be three-time champion Marlo McGaver. Also missing will be masters record holder Jeanne Fleck, who like McGaver will be mining for precious metal at Worlds, as well as 2005 IGB champ and perennial podium finisher Sarah Kolpin, who recently relocated to Pittsburgh.

This is not to suggest that the event is talent-free. Leading the way will be 2008 and 2007 runner-up Julie Hull of Farmington. Hull, a shoo-in once again for a Minnesota Duathlete of the Year nomination, should pick up her third du victory of the year on Sunday. Suzie Finger of St. Louis Park, Ann Snuggerud of Chaska, Plymouth's Cindy Blackstock and Stephanie Skladzien of Madison, Wisconsin, will fight over the other two podium spots.

TWO VOTES FOR CHISAGO...

Rochester's Joe and Ann Moyer (pictured) explain why they hope that the Chisago Lakes Triathlon wins the 2009 Triathletes Choice Race of the Year:

"Ann and I consider Chisago our favorite MN race this year. We are partial to the events that Gloria West runs, as we also attended the Paper Discovery Duathlon, and the High Cliff Triathlon (Half for me, sprint for Ann). Every event I have attended that Gloria has run has always been top notch. We will be racing at the Green Bay Duathlon soon, as well as the Osceola Duathlon. Ann has family in the Green Bay/Appleton Wisconsin area, so it works out well for us when we head over to the eastern side of Wisconsin to race.

"The Chisago Triathlon is held in one of my favorite areas of the state. We always like to make a weekend out of it, and head over to Taylor's Falls and see the sights the day before the race. This year, the State Time Trial 40k Championship was actually the day before Chisago, so I raced that also. It was just south of Chisago City, in Scandia, so it worked out quite well. The finish area for Chisago is in a very nice park, and I really enjoyed the bike route, with it's scenic undulating terrain. Most of the roads on the bike course were in very good shape, making it easy to settle into a nice rhythm and ride a good bike split. The run for the Half can be pretty hot in areas as it is pretty exposed. I actually kinda enjoyed the heat, as I knew I had to get used to it in my preparation for Ironman Wisconsin. There are a lot of locals that stay outside of their houses cheering you on and spraying you down with water to help you through the run.

"It is nice that there are two race distance options at Chisago, with the Half and Sprint distances, enabling more people to race, making the event larger. The field at Chisago this year was amazing, with many talented athletes. The course itself is always very fast, and my Garmin showed that bike was around 1 mile short, but even if you adjusted times accordingly, I still set my Half Ironman PR of 4:24 at Chisago this year.

"We are already looking forward to Chisago next year!"

What was your favorite Minnesota multi this year? We'd love to share your stories. - jerry.bous@gmail.com

PENTICOFF CAPS SEASON WITH WIN...

(Lake Elmo, MN - September 19, 2009) Woodbury's Scott Penticoff's 2009 season is bookended with duathlon victories. Last May he won Winter Be Gone in convincing fashion. Today at the 4th annual Young Life Duathlon, which was contested on a race venue (Lake Elmo Park Reserve) on which he has excelled over the years, Scott blew away all challengers. HIs 1:06:11 was this event's second fastest time ever and 4:41 faster than Dereck Podratz's runner-up clocking.

The women's race was won by amazing 51-year-old schoolteacher Brett Elizabeth Schulze, who was also victorious on her last appearance on this course (2005 Oakdale Duathlon).

The event was held under near-perfect conditions and drew approximately 150 participants.

(Photos by Brendon O'Flanagan: Top - Brett Elizabeth Schulze--far right--leading from the get-go. Left -Scott Penticoff makes the final turn for home.)

Young Life Duathlon Results:

YOUR FAVORITE RACE?

Voting for the 2009 Triathletes Choice Favorite Race of the Year is set to begin early next week. Do you know what event you will be voting for?

Patrick Egan (pictured) hopes TriNona wins the ROY Award:

"To me, this inaugural...race was phenomenal. Everything was done right, from the moment I stepped into the registration and was offered something to eat, to doing a pre-race tour of the course and seeing the most scenic views in Minnesota with the Mississippi river in the background, and the bluffs casting shadows across the meadows. I was in heaven! The race was so organized, the water was the perfect temperature and free of weeds, and I didn’t want the bike course to end, it was that scenic. Even the run, which to me is never ‘fun,’ was enjoyable because it curved wonderfully around the lake itself.

"As if things couldn’t get better, it lifted my spirits constantly hearing people praise and support each other on the course with phrases like “Good job!”, “Keep at ‘em”, “You rock!” just makes you realize that although we compete in some sense, we are really all racing together, and we are a community of triathletes that supports and encourages each other. Trinona brings all this to my mind. " - PE

What was your favorite tri or du this year? Feel free to share your thoughts with us. - Ed.

TRI TIPS...

Midwest Events Magazine

ME's Laurie Kocanda recently posted 25 tips for a faster

and more efficient triathlon.

Laurie's Tri Tips:

ONE GREAT IMAGE FROM ONE LAST TRI...

TRI-NIGHT '09 SET FOR NOVEMBER 7...

Minnesota's multisport enthusiasts are blessed. Our races are abundant and well-managed, and our training and racing venues and resources are second to none. We have so much to celebrate.

SO JOIN THE CELEBRATION!

Make plans to attend the 10th annual MINNESOTA MULTISPORT PARTY a.k.a. TRI-NIGHT '09, which be held at Saint Paul College on Saturday, November 7th. This year’s event will feature a cash bar and a great dinner prepared by the culinary wizards that are the St. Paul College Culinary School students. The program that follows begins with the very popular "People's Choice Awards". Next up will be the Midwest Multisport Series Awards presentation, honoring those who excelled in America's best and most competitive amateur triathlon/duathlon series. The program will conclude with the Oscar-style presentation of the prestigious MMA's (Minnesota Multisport Awards). Who will take home this year's "Emmas"? To find out, join us and 400 of your multisports friends at St. Paul College on Saturday November 7th, 2009. Family members and friends are welcome, too.

More details will follow soon but make sure you HOLD THE DATE and plan to attend the multisports celebration of the year!

If you are interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this year’s event or for the answers to most other questions, please contact Event Chairman Steve Gunther at stgunther@att.net or at 612-859-3729.

- Steve Gunther

WEAVER REPEATS AT ONE LAST TRI...

2003 Minnesota Rookie of the Year Kristen Weaver won her 2nd consecutive women's title at One Last Tri on September 13. Weaver has only raced three times since 2005, winning twice and placing 3rd (Chisago Lakes Sprint '08) on the other occasion.

Joining Weaver in the Winners Circle was Dan Graham.

Photo: 2nd place woman Amy Klosterman.

Results:

SALUTE..

(Photo by Paul Phillips / Competitive Image)

Here are the Top 10 Minnesota men & women finishers at Ironman Wisconsin '09. Please visit Ironman Wisconsin's results page for more on how our state's triathletes fared in Madison last weekend.

Men:

* ALEX HOOKE - 9:55:35 - IQ

* DOUG DAVIS - 10:04:30 - IQ

* KARL SCHULTZ - 10:13:58 - IQ

* RICK CAMPINS - 10:18:23

* BENNETT ISABELLA - 10:24:15

* ANDY NEWMAN - 10:25:25

* JOE MOYER - 10:29:27

* DAVID HOLLERAN - 10:36:33

* NICHOLAS MCCULLOCH - 10:59:57

* ANDREW TURNER - 11:05:43

Women:

* JAN GUENTHER - 10:28:19 - Did not accept IQ slot

* PAM NIELSEN - 10:52:21 - IQ

* CATHERINE LEE - 11:06:59 - IQ

* APRIL MORGAN - 11:08:59

* ERIN FARRENS - 11:12:03

* JENNY WILCOX - 11:12:36

* KERRI PERSONS - 11:42:13

* MARGARET MCMILLAN - 11:43:58

* TRACIE KENT - 11:49:38

* ABBY RUESS - 11:50:46

MTN salutes all who have ever accepted the Ironman challenge.