Last Chance Triathlon

Helena, MT, July 8, 2001

[Olympic Distance Results | Sprint Distance Results ]

Race Report

More than 120 triathletes from throughout Montana as well as other states gathered at Spring Meadow Lake State Park for the 4th Annual Last Chance Triathlon on July 8. The event offered two races: the Olympic--a 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10K run--and the short-course--a 1K swim, 20K bike, 5K run.

For some, the race was their first attempt at a triathlon; others were seasoned veterans of the sport. The race attracted participants from as far away as Iowa, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Nevada, California and Georgia, as well as Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Ages ranged from a 15-year-old girl from Bigfork competing on a team and a 16-year-old girl from Moscow, Idaho, competing as a soloist, to a 70-year-old woman from Sandpoint, Idaho in the short-course race and 68-year-old Molly Hayes from Bozeman in the Olympic race.

In the men's race, Michael Hayes from Calgary, Alberta, exited Spring Meadow Lake first, followed by Todd Struckman and Brandon Fuller from Team Stampede, a triathlon team based in Missoula. Struckman and Fuller passed Hayes on the bike and traded the lead until Struckman took control in the final 20K to lead into the transition area. Fuller posted the fastest run split of the day to pass Struckman and win the race in 1:59:50. Struckman followed in 2:03:59 and Hayes finished third in 2:06:30.

The women's race followed a similar pattern. Leanne Hayes, wife of the men's swim prime winner, led Great Divide Cycling Team's Ann Seifert and Team Stampede's Susanna Gaunt out of the water. As in the men's race, Seifert and Gaunt passed Hayes early on the bike and then passed each other several times during the 40K course. Gaunt rolled into transition only seconds ahead of Seifert, but then put together a fast run to win in 2:14:42, followed by Seifert in 2:16:37. Holly Stanish from Bozeman finished third in 2:18:50, while Hayes dropped to fourth in 2:19:52

Masters winners (40 and over) were Harry Johnson from Bozeman in 2:18:29 and Ann Seifert. Despite suffering from leg cramps at the end of the bike, Helena's Kurt Wolf won Men's 20-24 in 2:18:19; Chris Lumsden won Men's 20-24 in 2:21:22. Other notable Helena finishers were Scott Schneckloth, second in Men's 45-49 in 2:26:27 and Bill Allen, third in Men's 40-44 in 2:38:29.

In the short-course race, Scott Gaiser from Kalispell posted the fastest men's time in 1:13:55. Right on his heels was Helena's Gordon Amsbaugh in 1:14:43. Julie Swingley from the Great Divide Cycling Team claimed the overall win for the women, finishing in 1:21:06. Helena's Lisa Riedlinger placed second overall in 1:22:40, winning the Women's 25-29 age group.

A strong field of Helena triathletes filled the top age group spots. First-time triathlete Sara Lynd won Women's 19-under in 1:32:00, Jeremy Hueth won Men's 25-29 in 1:19:42, and Tom Furlong won Men's 45-49 in 1:27:06. Second-place finishes went to Peter Sullivan, Men's 35-39 in 1:19:07; Greg Mullen, Men's 40-44 in 1:42:36; Kristina Hiltabrand, Women's 30-34 in 1:37:57; and Pam Aldrich, Women's 45-49 in 1:29:23. Third-place finishes went to Ingrid Schultz, Womens 19-under in 1:36:25; Bob Gentry, Men's 35-39 in 1:20:48 and Cindy Gaffney, Women's 45-49 in 1:57:45.

In the team division in the Olympic race, swimmer Jeff Thomas and biker Jennifer Thomas from Helena and runner Nicole Hunt from Deer Lodge won the Mixed Open category in 2:18:44 over The Neapolitan (Robin Connors, Fred Flanders and Kim Cosgrove, all from Helena) in 2:40:05. The team of Curly, Larry and Moe (Helena's Bart Brazier and Jimmer Sullivan and Steve Fletcher from Missoula) won the Men's Open title in 2:27:41.

Other finishers from Helena included Jim Thomas, 1:30:12; Karen Powell, 1:43:46; and Ted and Kathy Chase, Mixed Open team, 1:35:28 in the short-course race and Troy Frost, 2:25:18 in the Olympic. Complete results are at www.greatdividecyclery.com.

The Last Chance Triathlon was organized by the Great Divide Cycling Team and sponsored by the Bagel Co., Great Divide Cyclery, Windbag Saloon, Crossroads Fitness and the Orthopoedic Clinic. Numerous Helena businesses generously donated items for a prize drawing.