Published: May 31, 2008 11:50 pm         

Colorado man races to Terre Haute Triathlon win

The 2007 men’s champion of the Terre Haute Triathlon didn’t think he would be able to finish the 2008 version of the race conducted Saturday morning at Hawthorn Park.

A resident of Longwood, Colo., 28-year-old Kirk Nelson was leading Ryan Shanahan of Bloomington after the 800-meter swim and 40-kilometer bicycle ride.

Then came the final event — the 8K run.

“I was cramping so badly,” Nelson mentioned. “I had to stop about a half-mile in and Ryan passed me. I had to walk for a little bit. Then I started running real easy for a while. I started to pick it up after the first-aid station [at about the 2-mile mark], where I was able to take two salt tablets that I carry with me and drink three glasses of water. I was able to pass Ryan at about 23/4 miles.”

From there, Nelson pulled away to defend his title, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 3 seconds amidst warm, humid conditions. Thirty-nine seconds later, Michael Smith of Brownsburg placed second and Shanahan ended up third.

A bigger factor than the weather for Nelson was his busy schedule, which included a grueling event last weekend at Portsmouth, Ohio.

Yet he couldn’t resist competing in Terre Haute again.

“The water was nice,” said Nelson, who wore a wetsuit while swimming. “Not too cold. Perfect, actually… and I didn’t mind a little wet roads [for bike riding].”

Nelson said he trailed Shanahan after the swim, which is usually his weakest of the three events, but Nelson was still in better position this year than he was last year heading into the bike ride.

A former cross country and track runner at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., Nelson has been a pro triathlete for five years.

“I enjoy it,” said Nelson, who didn’t appear to be breathing hard after the race. “It’s a passion for me. I race because it’s a gift from God.”

The women’s champion Saturday was 40-year-old Lauren Jensen of New Berlin, Wis. Not only did she win in a time of 1:48:00, she broke the 2004 meet record for females.

“My goal was actually to beat my old times from here when I was young,” said Jensen, who raced in the Terre Haute Triathlon in 1990 and 1992. “And I did.”

She said she came out of the water from the swim pretty much even with another triathlete for the women’s lead, then she started to pull away early in the bike ride.

“On the bike, I felt really strong,” noted Jensen, who avoided the cramping problems that plagued Nelson. “It was a little windy, but it was windy for everybody.”

A pro since 1993, Jensen hopes to maintain that status for as long as she can.

Placing second and third in the women’s division were Sarah Grunner of Wheaton, Ill., and Kathryn Sahm of Indianapolis respectively. Martha Whitacre of Paris, Ill., came in eighth.

Jensen and Nelson are members of Team Sport Beans/NTTC.

Race director Paul Asay said a record number of entrants, 382, competed in the 23rd annual event.

Proceeds from Saturday’s race go toward Mountaintop Ministries in Haiti.

“This is really a nice venue and this is a great race,” Jensen assessed. “I think the thing that makes this special is all the money raised here goes toward charity.”



Saturday

At Hawthorn Park

MALES

Top 20

Runner Age Time

1. Kirk Nelson (Longmont, Colo.) 28 1:35:03

2. Michael Smith (Brownsburg) 47 1:35:42

3. Ryan Shanahan (Bloomington) 34 1:36:07

4. Steve Johnson (Chicago) 32 1:38:28

5. Chris Toffolo (McCordsville) 27 1:40:00

6. Andrew Mueller (Champaign, Ill.) 20 1:40:21

7. David Forsee (Indianapolis) 39 1:41:01

8. Matthew Bartsch (Evansville) 26 1:42:59

9. Jim Marcero (Carmel) 33 1:44:44

10. Timothy Cote 32 1:45:58

11. Robb Awe (Indianapolis) 34 1:46:51

12. Duffy Smith (Decatur, Ill.) 42 1:47:10

13. Brandon Engles 22 1:47:24

14. Mark Baranko (Bloomington) 28 1:47:28

15. Mouhamed Seek (Indianapolis) 38 1:47:56

16. Zach Rosenbarger (Indianapolis) 32 1:48:00

17. Joshua Smith (Muncie) 27 1:48:23

18. Steve Green (Fishers) 43 1:48:47

19. William Deckard (Bedford) 47 1:49:17

20. Jeff Hansen (Chicago) 41 1:49:59

Wabash Valley and nearby finishers

43. Mark Kirby (Bloomfield) 48 1:55:06

53. Brent Noble (Terre Haute) 22 1:56:57

58. Ethan Page (Terre Haute) 17 1:57:27

63. Steve Black (Sullivan) 50 1:58:21

66. Michael McKinley (Terre Haute) 32 1:58:39

75. Billy Hubbard (Brazil) 43 1:59:44

76. Scott Thomas (Terre Haute) 49 2:00:00

83. Andy Bent (Terre Haute) 35 2:01:22

97. Matt Eller (Terre Haute) 21 2:03:49

100. Michael Carpenter (Terre Haute) 47 2:04:00

102. Steve Boyer (Marshall, Ill.) 39 2:04:39

115. Brad Highsmith (Riley) 33 2:07:03

128. Craig Tuggle (Greencastle) 37 2:09:05

135. James Twitchell (Terre Haute) 22 2:10:24

143. Jeff Tincher (Terre Haute) 52 2:11:40

149. Robert Weston (Terre Haute) 56 2:12:37

152. Kris Fitzgerald (Terre Haute) 31 2:13:50

157. Floyd Bosworth (Terre Haute) 54 2:14:37

163. John Sheldon (Terre Haute) 60 2:16:24

166. Randy Stakeman (Terre Haute) 56 2:17:06

174. Robe Fazekas (Terre Haute) 51 2:18:11

179. Chris Hogue (Terre Haute) 40 2:19:37

214. Terry Stewart (Terre Haute) 40 2:27:46

220. Paul Manning (Terre Haute) 19 2:30:30

226. Rusty Glosser (Marshall, Ill.) 58 2:35:36

229. Rick Harden (Terre Haute) 35 2:37:52

230. Landon Carpenter (Terre Haute) 18 2:37:59

234. Roger Nelson (Terre Haute) 41 2:39:32

236. Sean Jackson (Terre Haute) 27 2:40:36

237. Dan Fisher III (Terre Haute) 60 2:41:08

240. David Dahl (Terre Haute) 26 2:44:06

243. Robert Shonkwiler (Sullivan) 29 2:45:28

244. Craig Pearson (Terre Haute) 28 2:45:55

250. Kevin Sutterer (Terre Haute) 48 2:52:57

258. Antonio Gonzalez (Terre Haute) 26 3:08:51

FEMALES

Top 20

Runner Age Time

1. Lauren Jensen (New Berlin, Wis.) 40 1:48:00

2. Sarah Grunner (Wheaton, Ill.) 36 1:51:40

3. Kathryn Sahm (Indianapolis) 31 1:55:52

4. H. Alexander-Kratz (St. Louis) 45 1:56:01

5. Ludmila Cosio-Lima (Pensacola, Fla.) 38 1:56:39

6. Debra Hodgett (West Chicago, Ill.) 41 1:57:33

7. Sarah Sanders (Bloomington) 31 1:59:29

8. Martha Whitacre (Paris, Ill.) 52 2:01:55

9. Maribeth Yost (Centerville, Ohio) 26 2:02:20

10. Karen Steward-Nolan (Oak Park, Ill.) 41 2:02:55

11. Leonard-Schneck (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 44 2:03:35

12. Tatiana Kolovou (Bloomington) 41 2:05:35

13. Amanda Miller (Evansville) 28 2:06:24

14. Sarah Awe (Indianapolis) 29 2:06:46

15. M.J. Slikas (Orland Park, Ill.) 39 2:07:11

16. Jo Ann Jessie (Louisville) 46 2:07:18

17. Andrea Klotz (Evansville) 22 2:07:52

18. Sharon Donnally (Fishers) 44 2:09:39

19. Robin Karlov (Chicago) 44 2:10:35

20. Nolie Parnell (West Lafayette) 40 2:10:40

Other Wabash Valley and nearby finishers

34. Kimberly Benton (Spencer) 40 2:23:17

41. Kim Sutterer (Terre Haute) 22 2:27:01

43. Sue Niezgoda (Terre Haute) 34 2:27:53

51. Genevieve Daugherty (Sullivan) 27 2:34:24

53. Kyla Kuhnlein (Sullivan) 29 2:34:59

58. Annie Gauer (Terre Haute) 23 2:38:07

61. Honnalora Hubbard (Brazil) 38 2:42:11

69. Elizabeth Nesius (W. Terre Haute) 41 2:59:54

72. Tammy Jackson (Terre Haute) 37 3:20:12

73. Sara Long (Terre Haute) 25 3:42:42



Age-group winners

MALES

15-19 — Stephen Humbert (Cincinnati) 1:55:41; 20-24 — Andrew Mueller (Champaign, Ill.) 1:40:21; 25-29 — Chris Toffolo (McCordsville) 1:40:00; 30-34 — Steve Johnson (Chicago) 1:38:28; 35-39 — David Forsee (Indianapolis) 1:41:01; 40-44 — Duffy Smith (Decatur, Ill.) 1:47:10; 45-49 — Williams Deckard (Bedford) 1:49:17; 50-54 — Bob Clary (Bloomington, Ill.) 1:50:07; 55-59 — Johan De Jong (Richmond) 1:56:10; 60-64 — Ole Bohn (Muncie) 2:05:41; 65-99 — Mount Davis (Louisville) 2:09:05.

FEMALES

15-19 — Mackenzie Berg (Indianapolis) 2:56:13; 20-24 — Andrea Klotz (Evansville) 2:07:52; 25-29 — Maribeth Yost (Centerville, Ohio) 2:02:20; 30-34 — Sarah Sanders (Bloomington) 1:59:29; 35-39 — Ludmila Cosio-Lima (Pensacola, Fla.) 1:56:39; 40-44 — Debra Hodgett (West Chicago, Ill.) 1:57:33; 45-49 — Helen Alexander-Kratz (St. Louis) 1:56:01; 50-54 — Martha Whitacre (Paris, Ill.) 2:01:55; 55-59 — Ann Wilson (Rolling Prairie) 2:11:08; 65-99 — Elizabeth Brackett (Chicago) 2:25:04.



Team results

Males — Braun-Marrietta 2:06:26, The Hooplas 2:24:13.

Females — Kristy-Sarah-Dawn 2:00:38, Crazy Cats 2:07:17.