(Photos: Clockwise from Top -Greg, Doug, Brian, Tony & Rhett.)
The Minnesota Multisport
Awards Selection Committee announces its nominees for 2009 Minnesota Male Master of the Year.
* BRIAN BICH, 43, Duluth - Winner of three of the six races he entered this year, the 2008 U.S. Master of the Year is gunning for his 4th consecutive MOY trophy.
* RHETT BONNER, 45, Duluth - His overall win at the Square Lake Half, plus Elite Masters victories at Life Time Fitness and Buffalo Spring Lake 70.3 are not the only highlights of Rhett's brilliant season. He also won the 45-49M AG at Nationals.
* DOUG DAVIS, 42, Lakeville - Masters wins at Gear West, Liberty Half (Masters CR), Pigman Half, Heart of the Lakes and Waseca 1/3 IM, where he finished 3rd overall, highlighted the season for this Minnesota multisport pioneer.
* TONY SCHILLER, 51, Eden Prairie - A five-time MOY, cincogenarion Schiller cracked the overall Top 10 at two Midwest Multisport Series events and at Lake Minnetonka this season.
* GREG TAYLOR, 55, Mankato - His season featured a divisional CR at Ironman Coeur D'Alene and three overall Top 10s--Timberman, Waseca 1/3 IM and Square Lake Half. But his best effort of the year was turned in at Chisago Lakes Half, where he posted a 4:21:03. Had the course been accurate, Greg's time would have been in the 4:28-4:29 range, which would have been a World Best for 55+ men.
Other successful masters receiving serious consideration were Mo Mouw (45, White Bear Lake), Todd Firebaugh (47, Woodbury), James Graif (48, Elk River) and Charlie Roach, 51, Lakeville). As with the Grand Master category, age grading is employed where appropriate.
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.
