AGPhotos 1998 US LC Championships
Lubbock, Texas |
| Chris Eschback edged out Peter Kotland, 25-29, by 18 seconds to
take top age group honors at Buffalo Springs. Eschback's 4:13:11 placed him third among
all the racers for the day. |
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Spring-fed Buffalo Springs Lake is cool enough to permit wetsuits.
Nestled within a small ravine, the swim allowed this year's racers to forget about the
record heat building over the Texas landscape and enjoy the illusional light of sunrise. |
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| Once out of
the water, racers climbed out of their wet oasis and into the glow of early morning. About
ten miles down the road they would begin to encounter the real hills of Lubbock. |
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Victoria Piper, 30-34, won her age group in 4:57:55. It is hard to
imagine that Buffalo Springs Lake is noted for its hilly course. But Mike Greer has woven
his race through a series of small valleys to make it one of the toughest half-Ironmans
around. |
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Troy Jacobson had to run down James Bonney to take his third
consecutive Long Course National Championship. Racers must start the run as they did the
bike, by climbing out of the Buffalo Springs Lake ravine. The run course will dip in and
out of the small valley again before making the final descent to the finish line. |
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Melissa Bannister, 20-24, crossed the finish in 5:18:59 and ended
her day as an age group champion. Lubbock provided an ideal proving ground for those
athletes hoping to fly to Hawaii and attend the Ironman's 20th anniversary. |
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Giving it your all at this year's Buffalo Springs race was
sometimes painful as Lubbock's intense heat eventually took its toll on the field. Mary
Uhl, third woman elite in 5:01:44, finished her race then collapsed in agony. |
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David Bailey, hand crank, earned his trip to Kona by coming from
behind after the swim to win his division in 5:26:41. |
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Laurie Abrams, still looking fresh, had a few miles left to give
when she crossed the line as the top female elite in 4:52:27. Abrams finished the day as
the second woman overall, placing just over two minutes behind age grouper Amy McGrath. |
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