MALE MASTER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES...

(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.

TRIATHLETES TAKE ON TCM...

On Monday....How Minnesota's triathletes fared at the Twin Cities Marathon...

On Sunday...Male Master of the Year Nominees...

PEACE COFFEE SEPTEMBER ATHLETES OF THE MONTH...

Photos - Clockwise - Brian Bich turning the final corner at Brewhouse (Photographer: Greg Fleck), Kortney Haag emerging from Lake Nokomis at Life Time Fitness Elite (Photo by YndeCam), Rhett Bonner finishing triumphantly at Brewhouse (Photo by Minnafota Moments) and Jan Guenther leading all amateur women at Ironman Wisconsin. (Photo by Paul Phillips / Competitive Image)

Minnesota Tri News and Peace Coffee are proud to announce its September Athletes of the Month:

OVERALL: Kortney Haag, 30, New Hope & Brian Bich, 43, Duluth

In September, Kortney raced twice--St. Croix Valley and Peregrine Charities--and won convincingly both times. The fact that she set course records on each occasion gave her the slightest edge over Julie Hull, 36, of Farmington, who also posted two wins in September.

Brian also raced twice in September, setting a course record at St. Croix Valley International and placing 7th overall at the more-competitive-than-ever Best of the US National Championship.

Also receiving consideration for the Overall AOM: Matthew Payne, 32, Columbia Heights, Steve Sander, 30, Richfield, Julie Hull, 36, Farmington, Suzie Finger, 26, St. Louis Park, and Greta Simpson, 28, Minneapolis.

AGE GROUP: Jan Guenther, 50, Mound & Rhett Bonner, 45, Duluth

In September, Jan turned in what was arguably the premier effort by an American female AGer this year: An amateur victory, at the age of 50!, at Ironman Wisconsin in a U.S. 50-54W record 10:28:19.

Bonner, 45, won the Square Lake Half Ironman in a brilliant 4:13, which lowered the event's masters record by 11 minutes.

Other AG considerees: Greg Taylor, 55, Mankato; Ben Ewers, 63, North Oaks, Jeanne Fleck, 44, Proctor, and Julia Mairs, 43, St. Paul.

Bich, Haag, Guenther and Bonner will receive Columbian Heavy Pedal Coffee, courtesy of Peace Coffee.

PAST AOM WINNERS:

* August Overall: Devon Palmer & Cathy Yndestad

* August AG: Rhett Bonner, 45 & Jeanne Fleck, 44

* July Overall - Devon Palmer & Cathy Yndestad

* July AG - Greg Taylor, 55 & Jan Guenther, 50

* June Overall - Kevin O'Connor & Cathy Yndestad

* June AG - Ben Ewers, 63 & Jan Guenther, 50

* May Overall - Matthew Payne & Marlo McGaver

* May AG - Todd Firebaugh, 47 & Jan Guenther, 50

Autumn Eligibility Criteria: Overall AOMs must turn in a minimum of two outstanding performances during the month. AG AOM's need only one outstanding performance. Athletes age 19 & under and 40 & over are eligible for AG award consideration.

Three members of the Minnesota Multisport Awards Selection Committee--Heidi Keller-Miler, Stephen Bullard and Jerry MacNeil--serve on the MTN AOM Selection Committee.

BOUS' CLASS OF 2009..

Though it was the smallest turnout (64 athletes) in the 5-year BOUS Championship history, it was nevertheless the program's most talented assemblage to date. And it featured more elite swimmers--Kyle Hooker, Brian Duffy, Jr., Alice Henriques, Bethany Handley, Ross Hartley, Kevin Crossman et al--than ever before. These former collegiate stars set the pace for faster-than-expected racing. Twenty men and 21 women broke the old course records. Twelve men and 6 women broke the new citizen records that were set on this morning.

(Photo: Team Minnesota's Brian Bich is second from the left on the top row, and Brook Mutzenberger is third from the right in the bottom row.)

Team Minnesota:

* Brian Bich - 7th overall (1st Master)

* Brook Mutzenberger - 17th woman

* 7th Place in Fastest State Team Competition

RHETT'S ODYSSEY...FINAL CHAPTER..CONTINUED

"As I walked from the pier/main transition area over to the area by the hotel where we were to drop our warm up / post race clothes bag off I witnessed a pretty cool scene. Craig Alexander ( Last year's Men's Champion) was doing his pre-race final bike check with about 15 photographers surrounding him. Mixed in with the crowd of media and onlookers was none other than 6 time winner Mark Allen. He was standing there quietly, focused squarely on Craig Alexander. Mark's gaze and his body language at first struck me as though he was sort confronting Craig, but the longer I observed Mark observing Craig, I think it was just Mark's way of taking in the whole situation, albeit from a very close vantage point, that probably only he or Dave Scott would be allowed to occupy. From the look on Mark's face, I speculated that he had thoughts like "I remember when it was me that was at the center of the spotlight" followed by "Man, am I glad I don't have to do an Ironman today!".

" I made my way out of the main transition area, and had a little over an hour to go before the start. I decided to do a little stretching. I was sitting on a patch of grass talking to some nice guys from the Bay Area of San Francisco, and got stung by a bee on my left butt cheek-Ouch!

"As it was getting lighter out, the excitement and tension was building. I was feeling anxious, just wanting to get the whole thing started, knowing what a long day lay ahead.

"I got my swim skin on and made my way to the pier along with 1750 or so other triathletes.

"I swam out to the start area and decided to try my luck on the right hand side of the course, with the idea of swimming along the buoy line. In 2004 I lined up wide left, thinking I would avoid some of the kicking/shoving/grabbing/biting that defines the start of the IM swim. LIning up wide left in 2004 did not work at all- I still got pretty beat up all the way to the 1.2 mile turnaround, so I was ready to try something different. As I got right up to the front of the pack I grabbed on to a surfboard right next to Mark Carey. We exchanged greetings and good luck's, and both decided we were going to try to swim a little inside the buoys on the way out to avoid the war zone. The gun went off and what ensued was the most frustrating, and physically injurious swim I have ever been a part of. As we approached the first orange buoy, (they seemed to be about 200-300 meters apart) there was an impenetrable line of surfboards/kayaks funneling us all to the inside of the buoy. This caused a congested cluster of swimmers that was far worse than the first 50 yards after the gun went off. I later learned from someone who started in the middle, that the current was pushing everybody to the right, toward the buoy line. After I made it through that first CLUSTER, (feel free to fill in your own appropriate word that sometimes follows quickly after the word CLUSTER, to form a profane phrase) I thought, to myself: OK there is no way that they will have another 50 boats at the next buoy, so I will be able to make my right and avoid some of the congestion. However, as I approached the next buoy the same thing happened again,and again at each buoy. I had my googles kicked or elbowed out of place 3 different times at these various buoy crossings or "CLUSTERS" as I preferred to call them. In hindsight it would have been much better to have swam directly left after that first buoy, and try to get way over to the left, because each one of those not only cost time, but it destroyed any rhythm I had gotten into. I looked at my watch as we finally made it to the turn buoy marking the half way point, and it read 34 minutes and change. UGH! The second half of the swim went better, and I was actually passing people continuously as I got into a good rhythm and found that I felt pretty good. My swim split was 1:04 and change, so I probably swam about 30 minutes for the second half which I was pretty happy with. As I made my way through transition, It already felt hot, and it was only about 8:05 or so.

"The Bike course begins with a short out and back loop of about 6 miles. It is a fun but dangerous loop as everyone is amped to be out of the water and onto their bikes. You quickly realize that it is way too congested on this section to worry about passing anyone, as there are often 3-4 cyclists abreast on one lane plus a wide shoulder. The bike leg really starts as you begin the climb up the famed Palani road which is about a four or five block long steep climb that takes you from the shoreline up onto the Queen K Hwy.

"As I began the long journey that is the bike leg of the Hawaiian IM, my self talk was something like this, "stay calm, don't go too hard, eat, re-apply sunsreen often" One of the great things about this race is the aid stations. At each aid station on the bike, you can get water, cola, gatorade, gel, bananas. It was hot right away and I soon began the routine of grabbing 2-3 water bottles at each aid station. I would drink one, and use the other 1-2 to douse myself a couple of times before the next station. The ride went pretty smoothly until we made the turn and started climbing to Hawi. The crosswind had now become a headwind, and was getting stronger by the minute. Multiple time Hawaii IM Age Group champion Joe Bonness went by me with about 8 miles to go to Hawi, and I decide to try to stay with him. I did stay with him until the turnaround, but it was really hard. On the way back down the long descent I was spinning out the 53-11 aided by gravity and a strong tailwind.

"The winds and the heat were awful on the way back to Kona. I had made it to Hawi in about 2:36 (Hawi is slightly farther than half way of the bike) so I thought it was in reach to do a 5:00 bike split. As I checked my watch on the way back, I was realizing that this was quickly becoming a non-reality. I felt like I could have pushed harder and gone faster, but I knew how hot and difficult the run was going to be, so I tried to just maintain a good rhythm, and stay cool by drenching myself with water at each aid station. On the positive side, my stomach was feeling pretty good. On the bike I ate 6 Clif Shot Block packages, and 3 Hammer Nutrition Almond Raisin Bars- totaling about 2000 calories plus a little more calories from the Gatorade that I drank. I was really wishing I had something different to eat on the run, than the 5 packages of Clif Shot Blocks I had packed into my run race suit.

"I got to the transition area finishing with a 5:17 and change bike split. I felt exhausted and hot as I handed off my bike and started the long run around the transition area. The heat coming off the blue and green carpet gave blisters to many of the athletes who were barefoot! Luckily I had socks on. I changed out of my super comfortable Gear West TT suit and into my Gear West Tri suit, and made my way out on to the run. Immediately I felt overwhelmed by the stifling heat and humidity. As I struggled along, my legs felt like they weighed about 100 pounds each. The 5 packages of Clif shot blocks that I had in my back pocket felt like they weighed about 10 pounds, and I had to resist my urge to jettison all except for one of them. As I hit the first mile marker, I looked at my watch- 7:20 for the first mile- OK I thought, this was right about what I thought I could do. My pre-race plan had been to try to do 7:30 miles for the first 8 or so miles, then hopefully be able to hold 8:00 minute mile pace for the next 8 miles, and then hopefully hold onto 8:30 pace for the last 10 miles, giving me about a 3:15-3:20 marathon. This plan only worked for the first 3 miles, Actually I stopped at the beginning of the second mile to take a pee, so my second mile was 8:52, but my 3rd mile was right on 7:30. the 4th mile was when my wheels began to fall off. Despite dousing myself with water, putting ice in my hat and down the back and front of my tri suit, I still felt absolutely crushed by the heat. It was all I could do to keep running. My next mile split was 8:10 or so. With each mile I got slower and slower. I was briefly energized by seeing my family cheering me on at about mile 8, but this quickly faded as my thoughts turned to: "wouldn't it be nice to just quit right now and go swim at the pool with my family?" As I approached the base of the Palani Road climb out of town, (about mile 9-10) the heat was just unbelievable. As I got about half way up Palani, I saw the soon to be Champion - Craig Alexander cruising down Palani. He looked fast but definitely weary. I managed to jog up the rest of the steep climb, but probably could have walked just as fast. As soon as I got up onto the Queen K, it felt like there was some wind coming off the ocean, that took the temperature down a couple of degrees. As I made my way along the long straight section of the Queen K toward the Energy Lab, it felt like it took all of my strength to just keep shuffling along.

"Once I made it to the Energy Lab I actually started feeling a little bit better. As I hit the turnaround of the energy lab, I realized I was going to make it. I tried to stuff my disappointment at only being able to do an "Ironman Shuffle" instead of running, and focus on keeping moving forward, trying to have good form. I was now passing a few people here and there. (not as many people as were passing me, but it still felt good). There is a long gradual climb of about 3/4 of a mile as you head back into town just before you make the right hand turn to go down Palani. As the sun was sinking lower in the sky, the temperature was dropping, and I could hear the cheers and the buzz coming from town. From this point on I was like the cow that could smell the barn. My pace picked up, the pains in both my hips seemed to lessen, and I went as fast as I could for that last mile and a half or so, feeling waves of goosebumps as I hit Alii Drive. As I cruised onto the carpet through the finish line I felt quite a bit of relief, and then joy as I was greeted by my significant other Laurie Anderson, my 9 y/o daughter Becca, and my 3y/o son Aaron. It felt great to be done!

"As I now look back over the race and the season I feel extremely fortunate to have the love and support of my family and to still be healthy at the end of a race season that started with base training in March, and ended with my 7th race being the big Kahuna- the Hawaiian Ironman! I am truly blessed to have such a great family and such a great triathlon community and a great triathlon team (Gear West).

"THANKS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THIS SUCH A GREAT YEAR!"

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.