The Bucyrus Area YMCA

If it’s the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, and it’s the Bucyrus YMCA, then it must be the Bucyrus YMCA Individual & Team Triathlon. Unfortunately, this combination also seems to mean that it’s unseasonably chilly, overcast, rainy, and windy. And despite these conditions, racers keep coming and competing, in record numbers again this year. We truly enjoy putting this event together, we admire the grit and determination of each and every competitor, and we get a real charge out of the positive emails and letters we get after the race is over, so we’ll keep doing it as long as you folks keep showing up.

That being said, we’d ask that everyone to start thinking “Sunshine, Bucyrus Y, Sunshine, Memorial Day Weekend, Sunshine” over and over in their mind for the next 364 days. We’ll send out a kind of collective positive vibe (getting a metaphysical/karmic kind of thing going here) up into the atmosphere. Couldn’t hurt.

So, in an intermittent chilly rain and with late rumbles of distant thunder, the Bucyrus YMCA held its 10^th annual Triathlon on Saturday, May 25^th. The event, which consisted of a 500-yard swim, a 12-mile bike ride, and a 3.5-mile run, boasted a record field for the second year in a row, with 53 individuals and 9 teams competing.

YMCA Executive Director Matt Bruns stated "It was wonderful to see so many participants in this years event. The hard work of our volunteers and the sponsorships from the community are why this event is so successful. Matt went on to observe “It was also great to see families participating as teams in our triathlon. The Y's triathlon truly embodies our focus on fun, family, and fitness."

The overall winner of the Men’s division, in a new record time, was Todd Briggs of Grosse Pointe, MI, with a time of 57 minutes and 39 seconds. Winning the Female division was Laura Alsager of Mt. Pleasant, MI, with a time of 1 hour, 18 minutes, and 18 seconds. In the Teams divisions, Shumacher Express from Fostoria, OH, won the Men’s Team; M.E.K. from Bucyrus, OH, won the Women’s Team; and the Matt Rhoades Team from Van Wert, OH, won the Coed Team. The top Crawford County finishers were Robert Powell III and Boo Lutz.

(The Men’s and Women’s division winners were both from the state of Michigan, after we chose scarlet lettering on gray t-shirts this year. Does everyone see the irony here? C’mon, Ohio—let’s pick up the pace a little next year!)

We would like to thank the Triathlon committee members for helping put the race together: Vivian Remmel, Tom Moon, and Liz Dolan. Thanks also to Y Director Matt Bruns—immortalized on the special race T-shirts that some of our volunteers wore this year—who pretty much turns the Y over to us and lets us do what we want. We also don’t want to forget Aquatic Director Judy Arnold, who provides us access to the swim team’s supplies and helps us round up pool volunteers and cookie-bakers.

We also need to thank those individuals who helped out on the racecourse. In the pool area were Bruce Sloan, Shelli Rittenour, Carol Holter, Nina Leitzey, Carmen Myers, Rocio Martinez, Lois Vance, and Joni & Davey Jones. Volunteers out on the bike and run courses were Grant Kleckner, Justine Bruns, James Motter, Sarah Motter, Andrew Myers, Ken Whitt, Bill Arnold, John Hord, Al Wilson, Karen Harris, Ken Kincaid, Stephanie Stevens, and Andy Motter. Working the finish line were Tim Myers and Steve Lopez. Preparing the refreshments were Carol Holter, Bobbie Lopez and Carmen Myers; Nina Leitzey, Joni Jones and Arleta Phenecie provided the delicious homemade cookies. Bill Dartt and Denny Mutchler also helped out with setup and operations. Clay Harris was our official Race Photographer.

Thanks also go out to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department, the Bucyrus Police Department (thanks to Greg Stevens for coming in on his day off), and MedCorp Ambulance Service for their support along the course.

We also need to recognize our sponsors—without their generous support, this event would not be possible:
Bucyrus YMCA White Sharks Swim Team
First Federal Community Bank	United Bank
Bucyrus Blades	Whetstone Animal Hospital
Pigman, Walter & Associates	Prudential Financial – Al Basinger
General Electric	Shaklee
Runner’s World	McDonald’s
Vasil’s Fashions	The Trophy House

(I’d like to do another special recognition this year—he won’t like this, but he can’t do anything because I’m the guy (J.H.) who writes the Y’s web page. Gerry Dolan, who is my partner in crime in organizing this thing, is the one who coordinates almost everything on the competitor side: he makes sure that all of the previous racers get entry forms mailed to them; he checks all the entries we receive and handles any necessary communications; he maintains the database that holds all of the previous records; he organizes the check-in; and he sets up the database that ensures that everyone is in the correct age group, gets their correct time noted, and receives his or her appropriate award. Beyond that, he and his son Rob are the ones that cruise the 3.5 mile run course and 12 mile bike course with their cans of fluorescent spray paint, making sure that all of the turns are marked and that the big bumps and potholes are highlighted. Thanks for a job well done, Gerry.)
We hope to see everyone back next year!
Jeff Holter & Gerry Dolan Race Coordinators