Press Release: Shakopee, Dakotah triathlon attracts nearly 300 athletes

Congratulations to all the folks who worked hard to organize this event, as well as all the athletes who trained hard for it. Here are the results from a press release:

Prior Lake, MN – In spite of pouring rain, the fifth Dakotah! Sport and Fitness Lakefront Days Triathlon was a success. Held on Saturday, August 7, 2010, at Cleary Lake Regional Park, Prior Lake, Minnesota, the event was part of a celebration of fun that included activities, competitions, shows, food, music and much more during the city's annual Lakefront Days celebration. Dakotah! Sport and Fitness, an enterprise of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community co-sponsored the event along with the City of Prior Lake, the Three Rivers Park District, and Cleary Lake Regional Park.
The triathlon drew 293 participants: 161 male and 132 female finishers. All winners are from Minnesota unless otherwise specified.
“This is the first year we’ve had an Elite Category. At registration, athletes had to declare themselves as Elite or Amateur. We did this to give all who have a legitimate chance of winning, a fair shot to do so. These individuals are in the first heat of the race which allows them to compete without having to pass other participants. We allow a maximum of 30 men and 30 women in this division. This was our first year and we had 27 which we were thrilled with,” said Race Director Renee Engeman. “We also found that as a result, times were significantly faster than last year: three minutes faster for the men and 11 minutes faster for the women.”
The overall Elite division male winner was Andy Schiesl, 33, of Prior Lake with a time of 1:01:16. Carl Unger, 36, of Prior Lake came in second with a time of 1:01:51. Kyle Serreyn, 19, of Lakeville came in third with a time of 1:03:55.
The overall Elite division female winner was Diane Hankee, 33, of Hugo with a time of 1:07:47. Julia Weisbecker, 44, of Mendota Heights came in second with a time of 1:08:17. Lydia Novotny, 27, of Hopkins came in third with a time of 1:11:22.
The overall Amateur division male winner was Joshua Frei, 19, of Rochester with a time of 1:07:51. Andrew Landkammer, 32, of St Louis Park came in second with a time of 1:08:54. Nick Hardt, 30, of Lake Elmo came in third with a time of 1:09:51.
The overall Amateur division female winner was Kiesha Neitzell, 32, of Victoria with a time of 1:13:33. Danielle Berndt, 20, of Bloomington came in second with a time of 1:15:16. Michelle Rose, 31, of Prior Lake came in third with a time of 1:16:57.
"The event was extremely successful thanks in large part to the enthusiasm of our competitors, the cool weather for our athletes, and all of the volunteers that took time out of their Saturday morning to come help out. This was a great event that we hope to continue hosting each year," said Dakotah! Sport and Fitness Director, Tad Dunsworth.
The triathlon started at 8:00 a.m. with a 1/4-mile swim at Cleary Lake Beach. The swim was followed by a 13.5-mile bicycle loop through county roads. The third component was a 3.3-mile run through Cleary Lake Regional Park.
An awards ceremony followed the event with awards to the top three male and top three female finishers and the first place finisher in each of the men’s and women’s age group categories. All participants received a t-shirt and gift bag in addition to a participation medal.
The triathlon required the cooperation of a number of entities including the Cleary Lake Park Staff, Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce, the Prior Lake Police Department, the Scott County Sheriff's Department, Mdewakanton Emergency Services, the Prior Lake Fire Department, and 76 volunteers along the routes.
Amateur Age Group WinnersMale15-19 Kyle Dammen, Austin20-24 Ben Dupslaff, Savage25-29 Aaron Lilly, Woodbury30-34 Joe Rydel, Shakopee35-39 Greg Hayes, Prior Lake40-45 Sean Finn, Savage45-49 Chad Murphy, Prior Lake50-54 Jeff Melby, Bloomington55-59 Mike Flynn, Elk River 60-64 Dr. Jon Falkowski, Apple Valley
Female15-19 Jane Finn, Savage20-24 Erin Reicks, Minneapolis25-29 Monique Lindquist, Shoreview30-34 Shirley Himanga, Prior Lake35-39 Emily Ertel, Prior Lake40-44 Tracy Good, Victoria45-49 Henriette Lemke, Prior Lake50-54 Catherine Singer, Prior Lake55-59 Carol Dean, Woodbury60-64 Terry Johnston, Prior Lake
About Dakotah!The area’s premier fitness facility, Dakotah! Sport and Fitness offers a vast array of amenities with something for everyone in their 305,331 square foot facility. Amenities include an indoor track, aquatic center, indoor ice arenas, a double gymnasium, a cardio studio, a cycling studio, group fitness classes, free weights, circuit training equipment, and much more. Dakotah! Sport and Fitness is owned and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe in the Prior Lake and Shakopee area of Minnesota. The SMSC is also the owner and operator of Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Little Six Casino, Playworks, the Shakopee Dakota Convenience Stores, The Meadows at Mystic Lake, and other enterprises on the reservation south of the Twin Cities.
This press release and other materials can be downloaded from our website at www.shakopeedakota.org.

Jodi Rave