By Marty Stamper
July 23, 2008 09:49 am
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Familiar faces of previous Heart o’ Dixie Triathlon champions may be hard to find in Saturday’s race, but a relatively wide open field is still expected for this year’s three-sport event.
Unlike the PGA Tour where the absence of Tiger Woods’ alone is quite apparent, just one of the previous champions from the Heart o’ Dixie’s first 28 years had signed up for this year’s race as of Monday. That was 1998 women’s champion Amy Davis.
The defending champions are Tyler Stanfield and Deanna Frank, both of Birmingham, Ala. Stanfield is definitely a no-show this year.
“I talked to Tyler Stanfield’s dad and he is racing as a professional cyclist now and not doing triathlons at all. I know he is not coming and (2006 champion) Donny Forsyth is not coming either,” said race director and nine-time Neshoba County top finisher John David Williams.
Forsyth is moving to North Carolina in the next few days, Williams added.
“It’s a mixture of several things,” Williams said of the lack of former champions returning this year. “The one that won it last year turned pro in cycling. Some have moved off or no longer do triathlons. They get on top of the game for about four or five years then bow out.
“You’re not going to have another (six-time Heart o’ Dixie champion) Mike Plumb. If you are, he’s going to have to be local or at least from the region.”
Plumb now lives in California.
That opens the door for some up-and-coming athletes to get their shot at finishing in the winners’ circle in the oldest triathlon in the continental U.S.
“I’m really excited,” Williams said. “Last year, we had around 270-280 in the race. As of Monday, we had 322 (counting 24 teams) already signed up and we usually have about 50 sign up the last week.
“Of that 322, 161 indicated on their registration form that this will be their first Heart o’ Dixie and some more left that part blank.”
Registration continues through Friday at 8 p.m.
There will be race veterans competing as well. Adam Robertson and Darryl Lehtola have competed in 27 of the previous 28 races. Thomas Moore has done 25, while Ted Dufour and C.T. Carley both have 24 under their belts.
Each of the last eight years has produced a different overall champion. This year could be no exception to that pattern.
“There’s five or six guys that could probably win, depending on how well they run,” Williams said. “There’re no real standouts. It’s anybody’s to win right now.”
One of those could be Pete Prichard who has always fared well in the race.
“If there’s anybody that’s consistently in the Top 10 that’s in this year’s race it would be him,” Williams said. “He’s probably got more Top 10s than anybody.”
Several others are expected to turn in strong showings. In previous triathlons in central Mississippi this year, Hastings Puckett, 31, of Ridgeland won his hometown Heatwave Triathlon, while Amy Simonetta, 36, of Monroe, La., was the female Heatwave champion. Both have registered for the Heart o’ Dixie.
In the Sunfish Summer Triathlon two weeks ago at Meridian’s Bonita Lake, the male champion was Clay Curtis, 34, of Plantersville. The female winner was Stephanie Smith, 27, of Metairie, La. Curtis has registered for the Heart o’ Dixie, while Smith has not.
Others who have signed up for the Heart o’ Dixie are Patrick Almas, 21, of Jackson who came in third in the Sunfish; Amanda Cassell, 30, of Flowood, who placed third in the Race of Grace held earlier this year at Philadelphia; and Josh Berdami, 31, of Bailey, who also placed third in the 2008 Race of Grace.
Kelly White of Starkville, the 2006 Sunfish female winner, has also registered for the Heart o’ Dixie.
Athletes from Neshoba County compete for the Dr. Dickey Nowell Award which goes to the top local finisher. Already entered are 2005 and 2006 winner Richard Goldman and 2007 winner Jason Murray.
Newton native Jon Lucas is also planning on competing.
The race begins at 6:30 a.m. with a half-mile swim at Louisville’s Lake Tiak
O’Khata. From there, athletes bike 27.5 miles to the intersection of Hwys 15 and 21-488 at Williamsville. The final leg is a seven-mile run that finishes with one lap around the red clay racetrack of the historical Neshoba County Fairgrounds.
The Philadelphia Sertoma Club sponsors the race which annually serves as its main revenue source.
Six hundred new bike racks were recently purchased for this year’s event.
“We’ve got the same kind that they would have at USA Triathlon Nationals,”
Williams said. “We’re really hoping that the people enjoy those.”
Timing will be provided by Best Times Championship Tennessee.
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