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Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon
By Adam Hodges
LOVELAND, CO, June 29, 2002 - In the second year of its inception, the Loveland Lake to Lake Triathlon provided a superb event that will surely gain a popular following in years to come. The 1.5K swim / 29.5-mile bike / 10K run was staged at Loveland High School on the shores of Lake Loveland and race director Peggy Shockley had the details organized with precision, right down to the catered post-race meal awaiting hungry athletes.
The first wave shot from the sandy beach and into the calm waters of Loveland Lake at 7:00am. Michael Smedley led the charge. He exited from the water and ran up the quarter mile of grass to T1 to clock the fastest split of the day, 17:01.
The challenging bike course took riders up to Horsetooth Reservoir before descending back to the flats and the shores of Loveland Lake. Curt Chesney, a former pro cyclist on the European circuit, celebrated his 33rd birthday by clocking the fastest bike split in 1:11:03. His effort allowed him to move up into a top four position with his arrival in T2.
Out on the run, Joseph Fogarty of Colorado Springs set to work. Fogarty was nearly two minutes down on race leader Smedley as he started the circuit around Loveland Lake. Fogarty clocked the fastest split of the day with his 35:06 run. Although he made up a minute on Smedley, he ran out of real estate before hitting the finish line.
Smedley broke the tape for the win in 2:06:55. A pro for over six years, Michael Smedley is originally from Michigan and graduated from Notre Dame in 1996. He now lives in Colorado Springs where he recently started working for Smith Barney. Ranked 93rd in the most recent ITU men's world rankings, Smedley is looking forward to another shot at the Olympics in 2004. However, he is using 2002 to put himself on a more solid financial footing. Rather than traveling to a full schedule of races, his focus for the season is instead on his work with Smith Barney. In addition to being his employer, Smith Barney is also his main triathlon sponsor. Smedley will be racing in three more ITU races this season - Corner Brook, Boston, and New York.
Fogarty claimed second in 2:07:47, followed by Kirk Framke in 2:09:35. Next came Chesney to claim fourth overall and honors as top amateur male.
The fifth place finisher, and second amateur male, came from the second wave that started four minutes back. Greg Poliseo, 25, of Boulder, got off to a good start with a solid swim and strong bike, moving his way into the thick of things with the top racers of the first wave. A graduate of the University of Colorado where he raced on the cycling team, Poliseo started competing in triathlons after college. He already has some valuable experience in his new sport, having competed in Xterra events and Ironman USA in Lake Placid. This season he is focusing on the shorter distance events and is looking to do well at nationals.
In the women's race, Ann Lantz claimed a clear-cut victory in 2:23:48. Lantz, 39, is a personal trainer and coach of the triathlon team at the Colorado Athletic Club in Littleton. In only her second season in the sport, Lantz is quickly making her presence known as a top amateur. Lantz finished third in last year's Colorado Triathlon Series and hopes to improve upon that this year. A week before racing in Loveland, she was the top amateur woman at the Cheyenne Mountain Sprint Triathlon. She plans on competing in the remaining races of the Colorado Triathlon Series before going to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for the USAT national championships. She will finish her season in November at the world championships in Cancun, Mexico.
Finishing second to Lantz was Shannon Prince in 2:26:44. Camilla Stock took third in 2:27:22. Fourth place went to Sunny Gilbert, 2:30:03, and fifth to Monica Ryan, 2:32:30.
Top 10 Men 1 Michael Smedley ELITE 02:06:55 2 Joseph Fogarty ELITE 02:07:47 3 Kirk Framke ELITE 02:09:15 4 Curt Chesney M30-34 02:11:38 5 Greg Poliseo M25-29 02:12:34 6 Ryan Ignatz ELITE 02:12:38 7 Craig Howie M25-29 02:13:14 8 Chris Richardson M25-29 02:14:37 9 Adam Hodges M30-34 02:15:23 10 Nathan Kirkland M25-29 02:15:55
Top 10 Women 1 Ann Lantz F35-39 02:23:48 2 Shannon Prince F30-34 02:26:44 3 Camilla Stock F25-29 02:27:22 4 Sunny Gilbert F20-24 02:30:03 5 Monica Ryan F40-44 02:32:30 6 Rusha Pearson F20-24 02:32:42 7 Amber Rydholm F20-24 02:33:01 8 Aimee Stout F25-29 02:34:08 9 Lynn O'Donnell F40-44 02:34:11 10 Mica Vanslingerlandt F25-29 02:34:44
