HOW TOUGH WAS PIGMAN?

MTN asked decorated multisportsman Kevin O'Connor, who finished 3rd at Pigman Half on Sunday, to describe the conditions on race day:

"It was with-out a doubt, with-out comparison, unequivocally the worst conditions I have ever raced in. The wind was much worse than Waconia out on the bike. Waconia's ride was easy compared to Pigman. It was simply indescribable. With that said the swim at Waconia was definitely much harder than Pigman.

"To give you an idea of how much the wind blew you around, Kerry Yndestand, Jeremy Sartain, and David Thompson all broke a wheel when the wind blew them across the road and they hit a pothole. You didn't have much control over your bike or where you were riding. The weather dictated your location."

(Cathy Yndestad Photo: Kevin O'Connor is glad to be off the bike at Pigman XII.)

KORT TALKS 70.3...

(Cathy Yndestad Photo: Kortney Haag at Pig Half.)

MTN: At Pigman you out-performed several great 70.3 racers. How'd you do it?

KH: "I learned a lot from my first half (Chisago) and knew I could push the bike a little harder, as well as taking in more nutrition. As you know, the weather at Pigman was really bad and we were all struggling out there trying to stay upright. Everyone was pretty much in survival mode. I knew there were some great runners in the field, so I needed to come off the bike with some time on them. I came into T2 first..., a position I'm not too familiar with. I am usually trying to run people down, so knowing there were people out there trying to run me down was kind of scary! My run wasn't the strongest, most likely due to the amount of energy I put out on the bike just trying not to get blown over! At the turnaroun point I figured I had about a minute and a half cushion, so I just tried to dial in as much as I could. Once I made my way up the hill into the park it felt great not seeing anyone too close to me."

MTN: 70.3 may be your best distance. Do you agree?

KH: "Yes, I think this may be my best distance. I'm not the weakest swimmer out there, but definitely not the strongest. With the 70.3 mile distance, I can make up a lot of ground on the bike and run, while maintaining an average pace that isn't too much slower than what I would do on an Olympic course. I do like the Olympic distance because of the speed and the all-out mentality, but with the 70.3 distance an extra 15 seconds in transition or a sighting mistake in the water won't cost you the race like it could in an Olympic or sprint."

DANE & FLECK WIN...

(Lakeville, MN - August 16, 2009) Dennis Dane picked up his 2nd career victory and Jeanne Fleck garnered her 4th--3rd of 2009--at the 2nd edition of the Lake Marion Triathlon on Sunday. Dennis' time, 1:04:56, lowered Brett Lovaas' course record by 43 seconds. Fleck's 1:16:03 knocked the women's masters record down by a behemoth 11:23.

Race Director's Recap:

4:30 - Woke up and saw the massive storms coming in... Ugh oh, Turtleman part deux, I thought.

5:30 - Rain moves in an it's pouring. Doppler looks encouraging, but I'm not sold! Luckily our course was already set up and we could slow down a bit (volunteers that is).

6:15 - Rain stops completely and it becomes perfect race weather!

7:30 - Elite and relay wave heads out. Overcast and light winds. Ugh, what a relief.

Nick Madrinich killed the swim. Took out a HS All American (Liz Kleiner) and a D-1 swimmer (Robert Gorycki) from my club (granted he had a wetsuit and they didn't, but still!).

A 3-man "pack" formed on the bike, consisting of Lovaas, Dane and Joe Langel. They came in nearly together with Dennis out of T2 slightly ahead. After that it was all Dennis! He beat Brett by 1:50 or so on the run and won going away.

The womens side was closer than expected!

Teresa Breist came out of the water with a 3 (that's right!) minute lead on the elite field. She did her best to hang on, but Jeanne Fleck was just too strong. She cut 2:50 off on the bike to pull nearly even and then beat her....on the run to win by 50 seconds.

It was just the best day. I think the potential for bad weather made people a bit glum on the way out, but when it cleared off, spirits shot through the roof. At the finish line it was all smiles!

- Chuck Smith

(Ed. NOTE: LMT Race Director Chuck Smith was the Minnesota Rookie of the Year in 2003 and has twice been nominated for Triathlete of the Year (2003, 2004). He is a two-time Inside Triathlon All American. He won the Life Time Fitness Triathlon in 2003 and the Turtleman in 2004. He finished 6th overall at USAT Nationals in '03, his first full season in the Sport.)

(Photos by Greg Fleck. Top - A happy Dennis Dane nears the finish line. Bottom - Jeanne Fleck making a big splash in Lake Marion.)

Lake Marion Results:

KORTNEY CONQUERS PORCINE-MAN!

(Palo, IA - August 16, 2009) Rain and horrendous wind did not prevent New Hope's Kortney Haag from achieving her goal: Winning the Pigman Half.

Via email, Cathy Yndestad, who was spectating at Pigman on Sunday, had this to say about Kortney's performance:

"I wanted to tell [everyone] how amazing Kortney was yesterday. In my opinion, her fearless bike (in the most awful windy, rainy conditions), and her focus and determination on the run is truly worthy of a POY nomination. It was fun to watch. Everyone who finished Pigman yesterday deserves very high praise." CY

Other highlights: DKT matches his 2007 course record and Kevin O'Connor finishes 3rd in 4:09:49, making him one of only four amateur men--the others were DKT ('02) and Wisconinites Terry Labinski ('02) and Joe Kurian ('09)--to have broken 4:10 on Pigman's storied courses. Kurian's 4:09:09 was herculian, especially when you throw the inhospitable conditions into the equation. It bettered DKT's amateur race record, set in 2002, by 39 seconds.

Here's how the top Minnesotan men fared on Sunday:

1st - David Thompson (St. Paul) - Thanks to adjustments in the course, his 3:58:17 should stand as a race record. The win, his 6th here, was his 9th of the year and 57th of his illustrious career. It was also his 8th CR of 2009. His bike split--2:11:14--was astonishing (4+ minutes faster than the next fastest rider) given the wind and rain.

3rd - Kevin O'Connor (Medina) - He matched his best placing--he was also 3rd here in 2007--- and his 4:09:49 sawed 2:49 off his previous PR at Big Pig.

5th - Matthew Payne (Columbia Heights) - Matt's 4:17:22 was his fastest half to date and almost 13 minutes quicker than his 9th-place clocking here in 2008.

6th - Josh Riff (Edina) - Dr. Josh's time was 4:18:56. This was his 3rd half of the season. He finished 2nd at Liberty (4:17:37) and 8th at Chisago Lakes (4:05:15).

9th - Doug Davis, 42 (Lakeville) - Like O'Connor, Davis is a Minnesota multisport pioneer who continues to hold his own with the younger studs. Doug's masters division winning time on Sunday was 4:23:00 is a PR. His previous best was a 4:23:31 in 2004.

Also in the Top 20 were: 12th - Jeremy Sartain (St. Paul), 13th - Rich Heilman, 44 (Lakeville), 15th - Harold Doise (Osseo), 16th - Peter Maves (Rochester).

Here's how the top Minnesota women fared:

1st - Kortney Haag (New Hope) - Her 2nd effort at the 70.3 distance produced a win in the circumstantially remarkable time of 4:49:37. Her margin of victory over runner-up Emily Dewald of Bloomington, IL, was 1:55. An extremely talented rookie triathlete, Emily has won three of the six tris she's raced in thus far this season. Dewald will represent Illinois at the Best of the US Championship in California next month.

3rd - Julie Hull (Farmington) - Julie won here in 2007, was 2nd here last year, and 3rd this time around. Her time on Sunday was 4:55:49.

8th - April Morgan (Minneapolis) - Morgan also raced impressively at Chisago Lakes, where she posted a 4:53:51. Her time at Pigman, a significantly more challenging race, was 5:15:04.

Also in the top 20 were: 13th - Julia Mairs, 43 (St. Paul), 16th - Nordica Stocker (Minneapolis), 18th - Ann Moyer (Rochester) and 19th - Tracie Kent (St. Paul).

Minnesota's AG Winners:

20-24W - Nordica Stocker (Minnespolis) - 5:25:50

30-34M - Joe Moyer (Rochester) - 4:42:11

35-39W - Lisa Wacek (Minneapolis) - 5:41:47

35-39M - Harold Doise (Osseo) - 4:39:38

50-54M - Matt Haugen (St. Paul) - 5:15:04

60-64M - David Asp (Red Wing) - 5:37:28

A great story and photos appeared in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The above photo was shot by Crystal LoGuidice of the Gazette Online.

Pigman Half Results:

THE BEST TRIATHLON IN THE WORLD...

(Chanhassen, MN - August 15, 2009) Annie Hed, co-owner of Hed Cylcing Products, former elite triathlete and mother of two MKT participants, called the Miracle Kids Triathlon the "Best Triathlon in the World."

If you were at Lake Ann Park on Saturday, chances are, you came away agreeing with Ms. Hed's assessment. This event was a celebration of all that is good in life, an event done for all the right reasons!

Please visit the Miracle Kids' website to learn more about this amazing event and the Miracles of Mitch Foundation's site as well.

Have your seen WCCO's wonderful coverage?

A LIFE-CHANGING EVENT!

(Maple Plain, MN - August 16, 2009) Yesterday they weren't. Today they are.

Approximately half of the 550 participants in the 2nd annual YWCA Women's Triathlon came into the event as "cross trainers," but left as fully accredited triathletes.

Introducing women to the empowering tri lifestyle is the main mission of this event, and they accomplished this objective in a gloriously spectacular way. The joy at the finish line was palpable; impossible to witness without being moved.

Though the competition at the front of the race is a secondary concern, this is not to suggest that it is not important to the organizers. And there were a number of talented athletes on hand this year and they put on a great show for the large crowd of spectators.

Hopkin's Lydia Novotny led the way, though St. Louis Park's Suzie Finger and Minneapolis' Greta Simpson pushed her hard through the first two phases (500 yard swim, 15.5ish bike). The fastest 5K run split of the day delivered her to the finish line in 1:19:49, 55 seconds in front of Finger, who further solidified her status as 2009 Rookie of the Year frontrunner, and 1:50 ahead of Simpson, who improved remarkably on her 15th-place finish here in 2008. The victory was the 3rd of Novotny's young and very promising multisport career. (Lydia was nominated last year for Rookie of the Year.)

The 2008 YWCA Women's Tri was, simply put, a great event. The 2009 version, though conducted under grey skies with an unfulfilled threat of rain, was even better. Kudos to Race Co-Directors Paul Johnson and Jan Guenther, their organizing committee and all the conscientious volunteers.

YWCA Women's Tri Results:

SANDER & ROBERTS TRIUMPH IN DETROIT LAKES..

(Detroit Lakes, MN - August 15, 2009) Richfield's Steve Sander and St. Paul's Christina Roberts each chalked up the first victory of their respective tri careers on Saturday at the Young Life Olympic Triathlon. As expected, Sanders' chief competition came from La Crosse, Wisconsin's Brent Sinn and Elk River's Jim Graif, who placed 2nd and 3rd. His 2:04:11 lowered the men's course record by six minutes and his margin of victory over Sinn was 2:31. Graniteman founder and co-director Bill Corcoran of Waite Park took fourth. Fifth went to Buffalo's Marcus Stromberg.

With two wins thus far in '09, Bemidji's Christel Kippenhan (see Facebook photo) came into the event as the favorite. When it was all said and done, though, it was Christina Roberts who came out on top. Kippenhan took 2nd, 2:28 back. Cologne's Sarah Foley, who has been racing through various injuries this season, rounded out the women's podium. Sioux Falls' Barbara Wehde and reigning Lakefront Days champ Pam Zachman of Golden Valley, finished in the fourth and fifth positions.

The sprint race was won by Omaha, Nebraska's Lincoln Murdoch and Duluth's Tara Makinen, who placed 2nd in the 1/3 - 12 - 3 contest last year.

(Pictured: Christel Kippenhan's Facebook "photo.")

Younglife Results:

COMING...

These are some of the upcoming posts:

Saturday - Younglife Capsule & Results Link..

Sunday - Pigman Half Headlines & Results Link..

- Lake Marion Headlines & Results Link..

- YWCA Women's Tri Headlines & Results Link...

Monday - Updated stories with photos on the weekend's races...

Tuesday - Minnesotans at Nationals...Only twice have the male and female winners come from the same state--Californians in 2002 & Georgians in 1996. Can Minnesotans....

(YndeCam Photo - Sam Hauck at Turtleman. Can he reach the podium at Nationals? You bet he can!)

YWCA WOMEN'S TRI...PREVIEW...

Sure this event caters to newbies, but there'll be some fast girls there, too.

Here are nine girls who will bring impressive credentials to Baker Park on Sunday:

Karen Bebchuk, 43, Plymouth - 2009 Highlights - 3rd @ Heart of the Lakes Short Course; 4th @ Liberty Olympic

* Cindy Blackstock, 36, Plymouth - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ Green Lake Olympic (Race Record); 8th @ Buffalo Sprint; 21st @ Heart of the Lakes

* Suzie Finger, 26, St. Louis Park - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ Chaska Triathlon; 2nd @ Du the Dam & Waseca 1/3 IM; 3rd @ Winter Be Gone Duathlon - A first-year multisportswoman, Suzie should garner a 2009 Rookie of the Year nomination.

* Amy Klosterman, 47, White Bear Lake - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ Waseca Sprint; 3rd @ RochesterFest Sprint; 4th @ Heart of the Lakes Short Course; 5th @ Timberman Short Course

* Lydia Novotny, 26 Hopkins - Lydia was a 2008 Rookie of the Year nominee - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ Lake Waconia Citizens; 3rd @ Timberman; 10th @ Gear West Du; 12th @ Chisago Lakes Half (4:50:40); 13th @ Turtleman

* Greta Simpson, 28, Minneapolis - 15th here in 2008 - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ New Bri Tri; 7th @ Chisago Lakes Sprint; 9th @ Life Time Fitness Citizens

* Laurel Sundberg, 30, Minnetonka - 2009 Highlights - 1st @ Paul Bunyan Olympic; 3rd @ Buffalo Olympic & Green Lake Olympic; 4th @ Graniteman; 8th @ Lake Minnetonka

* Laura Swartz, 43, St. Louis Park - Defending YWCA Women's Tri champ - 2009 Highlights - 2nd @ Buffalo Sprint; 3rd @ Lake Minnetonka

* Grete Wilt, 17, Minneapolis - 7th here in 2008 - Grete is enrolled in SCS Multisports Elite MJET Program.

Who will win?

Lydia Novotny. She should lower the course record (1:18:57) by 5-6 minutes.

COMING....DKT vs DB..

* DKT vs. DB -

Pigman CR-holder David Thompson will take on Pigman's defending champ Daniel Bretscher on Sunday.

Who has the edge?

Let's look at their respective Half IM creds, starting with Daniel.

Daniel Bretscher was named 2007 USAT AOY (Amateur Athlete of the Year) and then the 2008 Pro Rookie of the Year.

* 2009 Half IM Highlights:

7th @ Steelhead 70.3 (4:06:36)

9th @ Florida 70.3 (4:02:10)

* 2008 Half IM Highlights:

1st @ Pigman Half (4:10)

1st @ Spirit of Morgantown (Course Record)

3rd @ Muskoka 70.3

4th @ Kansas 70.3

4th @ Spirit of Racine

6th @ Longhorn 70.3

10th @ 70.3 Worlds (3:53:15 -PR)

David Thompson was nominated for USAT AOY in 2002 and got his pro license in 2004. He has 56 career victories. Half of his 8 half IM wins were turned in at Pigman. His personal best 70.3 time is 3:49:38.

* 2009: Highlights:

1st @ Chisago Lakes Half IM

4th @ Rev 3 Half

4th @ 5430 Half (3:54:10)

* 2008 Highlights:

3rd @ Spirit of Racine (3:53:47)

4th @ California 70.3

ADVANTAGE: DKT

(Erik Hull Photo - DKT going off the front at Chisago.)

WE'LL MISS YOU, MICHELLE..

(Photo: Michelle Andres and five of the reasons we won't see her at the races any time soon.)

Team Minnesota '08 member Michelle Andres of East Gull Lake, is putting her tri career on hold for a while.

Perhaps a very long while.

On August 10, MTN received this e-mail from Andres, a former candidate for Rookie of the Year and Most Improved:

"I had thought at the beginning of the season that I would race and even register for an IM..., but I decided to take a break for a while. My [5] boys are really getting into traveling sports and I love being there to watch them. Also, I just finished my schooling for elementary education and I student teach this fall.

"My plate is getting too full.

"I could have raced for fun, but that's just not me. When my youngest graduates H.S. I'll only be 42 - heck, we he gets his [drivers) license, I'll be only 40.

"There are so many great triathlon women out there that are 40-and-older - I'll be back then. My boys will only be boys for so long and IM will always be there.

"Don't get me wrong, one of my dreams is still [to win] a slot for Hawaii. Now it will just happen when I'm 42, instead of 32.

"Take care...See you in a few years."

Andres' Tri Highlights:

* ROY Nominee in 2004, MI nominee in 2008

2008: 1st @ Graniteman (Course Record) & Northwoods (Course record)

2nd @ Lakes Country

3rd @ Buffalo Olympic & Brewhouse

4^th @ Gear West & Chisago Lakes Half (4:42:46)

21^st / 10^th amateur in 11:03:32 @ Ironman Wisconsin (4^th 30-34)

2006: 1st @ Graniteman, Northwoods & Lakes Country

5th @ Liberty Half

2005: 1st @ Northwoods

2^nd @ Graniteman & Lakes Country

2004: 3^rd @ Chain of Lakes & Castaway Club

4^th @ Graniteman & Lakes Country

5th @ Buffalo Triathlon

YOUNGLIFE PREVIEW...

Richfield's Steve Sander has reached the podium on three occasions this season, but has yet to ascend to the top step.

That should change on Saturday.

But it won't be easy. He'll be facing La Crosse, Wisconsin's Brent Sinn, who convincingly won the Castaway Club Sprint, an earlier incarnation of this event, in 2005, in the Olympic-distance contest. Steve and Brent faced each other at Life Time Fitness Elite last month with Sander coming out on top by 1:08 and two places. It should be noted that neither guy raced up to his potential on that day.

Jim Graif of Elk River, has podiumed in three Tri-Minnesota Series races this season (Younglife is the ninth race in the 10-race TMS) and should do so on again on Saturday.

The absence of unregistered course record holder Marnie Walth of Bismarck, ND, and pre-registered star Michelle Andres (East Gull Lake), who recently informed MTN that she has decided to take an extended leave from the Sport, has cleared the way for Bemidji' s Christel Kippenhan to pick up her 3rd victory of the season.

St. Paul's Christina Roberts finished 2nd at Chaska earlier this season and should do likewise in Detroit Lakes on Saturday.

The men's field in the simultaneously-contested sprint race contains no established elites, thus is wide open. Naming a favorite is all but impossible, though we suspect that he will be a late registrant. For the girls, though, it appears that Duluth's Tara Makinen, last year's runner-up, deserves to be listed as the favorite.

Younglife Race & Registration Info:

(Pictured - Steve Sander cruising to a 5th place finish at Lake Waconia Elite. Photo by YndeCam.com)

WHERE WILL YOU BE ON THURSDAY NIGHT?

The 2nd annual MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S RUN will be at Cleary Lake Park in Prior Lake on Thursday, August 13.

This 3 mile run/walk starts at 6:30 PM.

This is a unique event that includes a great post-race barbeque and copious quantities of Michelob.

Event & Registration Info:

BIG PIG & LAKE MARION PREVIEWETTES...

Sunday, August 16 marks the 12th anniversary of the Pigman Long Course, our region's premier half, and the 2nd running of the Lake Marion Sprint in Lakeville.

Big Pig Previewette:

Course record holder David Thompson of St. Paul, and defending champ Daniel Bretscher of Greencastle, IN, should duke it out for the top spot. David's record--3:58:17, set in 2007--may fall in the process.

As for the amateur men, look for former Vineman 70.3 winner Jason Maurice of Fairfield, IA, who placed 3rd here in 2008, to have his work cut out for him keeping alacritous Minnesotans Kevin O'Connor, Matt Payne, Dan Arlandson, Jeremy Sartain and Josh Riff, as well as Wisconsin's Mike Lavery, in his rearview mirror.

It should take a 4:10, weather permitting, to win the men's amateur race, and all of the abovementioned guys are capable of doing that.

As for the girls, expect Minnesotans Julie Hull and Kortney Haag and Michigander Alaina Neary to fight over the podium spots.

Why?

Hull has won here before (2007) and placed 2nd last year. And she's currently riding like a crazed banshee!

Haag's 70.3 debut at Chisago last month was nothing short of brilliant. This could be the best distance for the 2008 Minnesota Rookie of the Year.

Neary won the Muncie Endurathon in dominant fashion last month and has posted impressive times at past editions of Steelhead and Kansas 70.3.

Lake Marion Previewette:

Barring the appearance of late registering elites, it appears that the men to beat will be returning champ Brett Lovaas, '08 runner-up Nick Madrinich and Dennis Dane, who will make his LMT debut on Sunday.

Nick, 19, is not quite ready to out-race Brett or Dennis, but a 3rd place finish here will further reinforce his status as frontrunner for the Male Junior of the Year award.

Lovaas and Dane have faced each other six times in the last two seasons with Dennis coming out on top in all but one confrontation.

Will Lovaas pick up his 20th career W since becoming a Minnesotan in 1997? Or will Dane, who took up the sport in 2006, earn his 2nd career win (he was victorious at Lakes Country in 2007)?

Evenly matched in the first two phases, Dane has a clear advantage on the run. Can Lovaas arrive in T2 with the necessary 90+ second lead in a race of this length (750m swim/22.5K bike/5K run)?

Not likely. Advantage: Dane.

Both Dennis and Brett should dip under the 1:05:39 CR.

The girls field is still taking shape, with several accomplished ladies giving serious thought to making the pilgrimage to Antlers Park in Lakeville on Sunday. At this point in time, though, Waconia Elite champ Brook Mutzenberger is the clear favorite.

UPDATE: 2008 Master of the Year and Most Improved Award winner Jeanne Fleck has announced her intention to race. Jeanne and Brook have faced each other three times--Manitou, Life Time Fitness and HOLT--this season, with Jeanne coming out on top twice.

UPDATE II: LMT's field just got more formidable as Thunder Bay's Jonathan Balabuck and Lino's Lake's Diane Hankee have registered. Balabuck, winner at Liberty Half and Brewhouse (amateur race), moves into the favorite's role.

(Photo by YndeCam.com: Nick Madrinich will go for another podium finish at Lake Marion on August 16.)

RETURN OF THE TREADMAN...

MTN received this e-mail from Treadman Duathlon organizer, Bill Nevala:

" ...I have reopened registration for the Treadman Duathlon for Sept 5th. We had low registrations and [last week] I pulled the event off of the schedule. I was then innundated with emails and calls from would-be participants for the event. I sent out an email blast to ask for interest in the event and I heard from hundreds of interested people. So, the Du is back on for the 5th."

Great news, Bill! - Ed.

Learn more about the Treadman Duathlon.

GOING OFF THE FRONT...

(Devon Palmer has been riding away from the competition in 2009. Photo by YndeCam.com.)

Triathlete Devon Palmer is probably the fastest cyclist in amateur racing. Heck, there are only a handful of pros who can keep pace with him. Only 22 years old, Palmer is redefining how races get won in our region. The St. Paul resident came into the season with two modest victories on his resume, but is now two mphs faster in the saddle--from 25 to 27-plus--than last year and the wins are piling up. As a result, he's a shoo-in for several MMA nominations, including Triathlete of the Year. If that award were given today, he'd win hands-down. And more significantly, he will go into the USAT Age Group National Championships on August 22 in Tuscaloosa, AL as one of the overall favorites.

Devon's 2009 Highlights:

* 1st @ Manitou Sprint - Course Record 1:00:04

* 1st @ Life Time Fitness Elite - Arguably the deepest amateur men's field in the U.S. thus far in 2009.

* 1st @ Heart of the Lakes - His 1:27:45 is the fastest amateur time since 1995.

* 1st @ Turtleman Duathlon - He covered the 21.5 mile bike in 45:55 (28.1 mph).

DKT 4th AT 5430...

(Boulder, CO - August 9, 2009) Records are made to be broken. Even those set by St.Paul's David Thompson.)

On Sunday, red-hot Timothy O'Donnell of Boulder, Colorado, carved almost four minutes off Thompson's 5430 Half IM record, a 3:49:38, set in 2007. Thompson, who has set seven course records of his own this season, finished in fourth place with very respectable time of 3:54:19. David is slated to race in another half--Pigman--next weekend, where he'll face defending champ Daniel Bretscher of Greencastle, Indiana.

O'Donnell's breakout '09 season features these outstanding 70.3 performances:

* 1st @ 5430 (3:45:51 -margin of victory 5:53)

* 1st @ Calgary 70.3 (3:55:28 - margin of victory 5:23)

(NOTE: Calgary and 5430 were on back-to-back weekends.)

* 1st @ St. Croix 70.3 - 4:02:36 - margin of victory 1:02)

* 2nd @ Kansas 70.3

* 3rd @ New Orleans 70.3

* 3rd @ Rev 3 Half

5430 Results:

READY TO ROCK 'N ROLL...

Beloved 85-year-old triathlete, Bob Powers, gets ready to tackle the course and the elements at Turtleman XXVI. In the foreground is fellow Minnesota multisport pioneer Don Meck, age 70. Photo courtesy of YndeCam.com.

SURPASSING EXPECTATIONS....

(Red Wing, MN - August 9, 2009) With fingers crossed, organizers of this inaugural event hoped to draw 100 participants, which is what they needed to cover costs with a little left over for their beneficiaries. Despite sharing the weekend with Turtleman, Green Lake, Northwoods and Deephaven Days, however, Wingman managed to pull more than 150 entrants.

Leading the way were Wade Bergner of Maiden Rock, WI and St. Louis Park's Shelley Nelson. Bergner, a former St. Paul Olympic and Tri America-St. Paul winner, covered the 500m (pool)-12.7 - 3 course in 1:03:10. For Nelson, it was her 3rd win of the 2009 season. She was clocked in 1:06:53.

Wingman Results:

CHASKA'S LOWREY CROWNED YOUTH ELITE NATIONAL CHAMPION!

(Colorado Springs, CO - August 9, 2009) Fourteen-year-old tri-prodigy Katherine Lowrey of Chaska, was crowned Youth Elite National Champion in Colorado Springs on Sunday.

Inside Triathlon Coverage: