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Monseau does it again
Breaks course record, wins triathlon for ninth time; Winebrenner claims third straight women’s title
Dr. Vinnie Monseau knows some day somebody will come along and beat him in the annual YMCA Rocky Gap Triathlon. Saturday certainly was not going to be that day.
The 39-year-old emergency room physician from Morgantown, W.Va., beat his own course record by 31 seconds with a time of 45 minutes and 23 seconds in the 21st annual race. It was his third straight victory and ninth in the last 10 years. He had to skip the 2005 event.
Derek Clark, 27, of Morgantown, was a distant second in 47:40, followed by 33-year-old Erik Scott of State College, Pa., in 47:50.
Cumberland’s Lori Winebrenner battled back from recent injuries and illness to win the women’s division for the third straight year with a time of 55:10 that placed her 14th overall.
Recent Allegany High School graduate Lauryn MacFawn was runner-up with a time of 56:19. Jennifer Sober of McHenry took third in 58:19.
There were 231 finishers is this year’s race that consisted of a quarter-mile swim, a 10-mile bicycle race and a 3.1-mile run.
It is one the shortest races of the year and literally a stroll through the park for Monseau, who has competed in four Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
“I have had a great year so far,” said Monseau, who has competed all over the world.
The Morgantown doctor was the sixth best amateur of 600 entrees in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Fla., that has many of the nation’s top triathletes competing. Last week he was the fourth best amateur in the Eagles one-half ironman event in Cambridge.
Monseau’s time Saturday tops his previous best of 45:54 in the 2006 race. He attributes the improvement to a new all-carbon fiber bike manufactured by Cannondale, Inc., in nearby Bedford, Pa.
“I have been flying on my new bike and that’s where I was able to pull away from people today,” said the nine-time champion. “I just go out and try to stay focused on what I want to do.”
Dr. Monseau and his wife Ronna, also an emergency room doctor, both compete in triathlons and she finished 102nd. They are in the process of relocating here and will be operating the Health Matters Urgent Care Center in Bel Air.
“We love this area and are looking forward to moving here,” said the Rocky Gap champion. “We just like to be here to be in this race with some older competitors and beginners. It’s always fun. I don’t plan to skip it again and some day somebody will beat me.”
Winebrenner is a 1999 graduate of Allegany and was on state championship teams in cross country and softball her senior year. She earned All-State honors in cross country by finishing 15th and was an All-Area infielder in softball. She also played soccer.
A former swimming standout for the Cumberland YMCA Sea Otters, Winebrenner was the second female out of the water and took the lead in the transition to the bike race. She was able to build enough of an advantage to hold off MacFawn in the run. Her winning time was well off her 2007 clocking of 52:07 that was good for fourth overall.”
“I have been struggling this year after over-training during the winter. I kept pushing myself hard and was tired all the time,” said Winebrenner, a nursing assistant at Frostburg Village. “I was much better last year. I just got through it today and felt better than two weeks ago. I’m hoping to have a steady recovery.”
Winebrenner has been running triathlons for five years and has had some success in other races. She is currently planning to race in the National Sprint Triathlon Championship in September in Portland, Ore.
“I just love the lifestyle of competing in triathlons and you meet a lot of great people,’ said the three-time Rocky Gap champion. “I began swimming for the Sea Otters when I was 6 years old. I really enjoy riding the bike and I ran cross country. It all came together.”
The Rocky Gap Triathlon is a family affair for Dr. Ian MacFawn, his wife Cathy and their three children: 29-year-old Breandan, 18-year-old Lauryn and 15-year-old Ian.
Dr. MacFawn is the only triathlete to have competed in all 21 Rocky Gap events. Competing with an artificial hip, he finished 70th overall in a time of 1:04.03. Cathy won the 50-to-55 age group and was 91th overall in 1:07:2. Breandan was able to edge his mother by finishing 88th in 1:07:1
Lauryn, who finished 19th overall, just capped an outstanding high school career where she won three Maryland Class 1A cross country championships and two 3200-meter run titles in track. She will be continuing her education and running career at Syracuse University.
The younger Ian was ninth overall with a time a 53:34 and won the male 12-to-24 age group. He will be a sophomore at Allegany this fall and was the top freshman runner in the state in the 3200-meter run this spring after earning all-state honors in cross country by finishing 15th. He could become that somebody who could beat Monseau someday.
Contact Steve Luse at sluse@times-news.com.
