U.S. Olympian Jeff Smoke retains M-22 Challenge title
From staff reports
Jeff Smoke, 35 of Buchanan, Mich., is not a newcomer to the M-22 Challenge, the podium or paddle triathlons. Smoke kayaked on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team and took first place at the 2011 and 2013 M-22 Challenge. In past years Smoke has dominated the paddle portion of the race and this is where he would win the event. However, in 2014 he picked up his cycling pace, which proved to make the ultimate difference for him, as Denny Paull was only one second off Smoke’s paddle time. Paull, the 2010 and 2012 winner, came into the transition area from the run well ahead of Smoke, but lost valuable time to Smoke on the bike portion of the race. Paull finished second overall.
The “local standout” has to be Suttons Bay native Sean Kickbush. His first year at the M-22 Challenge he placed out of the top 100, last year he was 8th, and this year he came in with a solid 3rd place. Leelanau County will be looking for the first local to take the overall podium in 2015.
Without five-time female overall winner, Keri Pawielski, the race was up for grabs for a new female champion. Women’s winner Jamie Endicott, 21 of Traverse City, actually started from Wave 2, which takes off one minute after Wave 1. At the finish it looked like Amy Carlson, who came in second, had the win since she was the first female to cross the line, however Endicott completed the course 18 seconds faster than Carlson, which gave her the overall win. Next year we look forward to Carlson & Endicott starting from Wave 1 and racing head to head! Women’s third overall was Katie Kearney, of Traverse City, who was three seconds behind Carlson.
Division Winners:
SUP OVERALL
MALE:
1. Keegan Myers
2. Steve Andriese
3. Fred Bunn
FEMALE:
1. Marci Bultemeier
2. Mary Turner
3. Langley Scherer
KING OF THE DUNE: Jake Flynn QUEEN OF THE DUNE: Katie Kearney
KING OF THE BIKE: Steve Andriese QUEEN OF THE BIKE: Jamie Endicott
KING OF THE PADDLE: Jeff Smoke QUEEN OF THE PADDLE: Amy Carlson
Being an overall top-10 finisher at the M22 Challenge is a goal highly coveted by all athletes. We expect athletes to take the “paddle tri” concept seriously in 2015, which will continue to increase the intensity and pace of this race as the year’s progress.
The 2015 M-22 Challenge will take place on June 13th, 2015. Online registration opens March 1 at 8 a.m.
