SPICER – Preston Youngdahl and Becky Youngberg emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s Olympic divisions of the Green Lake Triathlon on Sunday.
The participants in the Olympic class had to complete a 1.2-kilometer swim, a 35-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run.
Jay Halliday of Willmar finishes fifth in the men’s Olympic division of the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Michael Lyne/West Central Tribune
Youngdahl, 34, of Minneapolis, finished the race in 1 hour, 39 minutes, 44 seconds. Youngberg, 49, of Shakopee, finished the triathlon in 1:58.22.
Youngdahl beat Corey Nygaard in 1:42.03 and Joe Adriaens in 1:43.12. Nygaard is a 29-year-old from Alexandria and Adriaens is a 36-year-old from Elk River.
Jay Halliday had the best finish among the regional racers in the men’s Olympic division. The 39-year-old from Willmar posted a time of 1:56.10. Kirby Johnson, 36, of Spicer, finished seventh (1:59.50).
Michelle Molitor of Belgrade finishes fourth in the women’s sprint division at the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Michael Lyne/West Central Tribune
Youngberg defeated Kadie Hokanson of Alexandria and Amy Preusser of Melrose. Hokanson was second with a time of 2:06.10 and Preusser rounded out the top three with a time of 2:11.12.
In the sprint division, which consisted of a quarter-mile swim, 14 miles of cycling and a 5-mile run, Sean Pickle and Gretchen Amundson took first place.
Pickle, 19, of St. Cloud, clocked a time of 1:00.39. Amundson, 45, of St. Cloud, was first (1:14.40).
Pickle finished ahead of Kevin Mitchell, a 54-year-old from Sioux Falls, South Dakota (1:01.23) and Chuck Hengel, a 60-year-old from Wayzata (1:04.02).
Preston Youngdahl of Minneapolis parks his bike in the transition area before completing the final leg, a 10-kilometer run, in the men’s Olympic division of the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Michael Lyne/West Central Tribune
Jonathan De Groot, 44, from Prinsburg, was the best runner in the region with a time of 1:04.12 and took fourth place. Tyson Molitor, 35, from Belgrade made it into the top 10 with a ninth place (1:09.59).
Amundson took first place ahead of Kara De Groot and Chris Haukos. Kara De Groot, 45, of Prinsburg, clocked a time of 1:18.21 and Haukos, 59, of St. Cloud, rounded out the top three with a time of 1:18.33.
Michelle Molitor of Belgrade and Annie Erickson of Raymond were both in the top 10. Molitor, 35, finished fourth (1:19.10) and Erickson, 32, finished eighth (1:20.41).
Ariel Amusan of Minneapolis celebrates as she finishes 11th in the women’s sprint class at the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer on Sunday, August 11, 2024.
Michael Lyne/West Central Tribune
TOP TEN — (1) Preston Youngdahl, Minneapolis, 1:39.44… (2) Corey Nygaard, Alexandria, 1:42.03… (3) Joe Adriaens, Elk River, 1:43.12… (4) Brett Winkelman, Fargo, ND, 1:55.10 … (5) Jay Halliday, Willmar, 1:56.10 … (6) Alex Arnason, Minneapolis, 1:58.33 … (7) Kirby Johnson, Spicer, 1:59.50 … (8) Jacob Niemann, Minneapolis, 2: 00.10 … (9) Craig Schroeder, Dayton, 2:03.03 … (10) Nicholas Gray, St. Paul, 2:04.25
