No clear favorites at Heart o' Dixie
By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
July 26, 2002
Wide open. That's what the 23rd-annual Heart o' Dixie Triathlon appears to be as the two most dominant racers of the past decade will be missing from Saturday's event.
Mike Plumb and Joseph Curro have shared ownership of the winner's circle over the last 10 years as one or the other has won the event every year except 1998.
The two hold the most overall championships at the oldest triathlon in the continental U.S. Plumb has six titles, winning in 1989, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, and 2000. Curro has four, 1994, 1995, 1999, and 2001.
Curro recently competed in the Duathlon Nationals in Carlsbad, Cal., but reinjured his foot, leaving him unable to compete in Saturday's 35-mile journey from Lake Tiak-O'Khata at Louisville to the Neshoba County Fairgrounds in the Coldwater community southwest of Philadelphia. The race has a half-mile swim, a 27.5 mile bike, and a seven-mile run capped by a lap around the racetrack on the fairgrounds.
Curro stayed with Plumb during the Duathlon Nationals.
Neither winner of the Sunfish Summer Triathlon two weeks ago at Lake Okatibbee will compete in the Heart o' Dixie.
The field should still be good.
Posey expects this year's race to match last year's total of 265 participants, including two or three-person team competition.
The 2001 Heart o' Dixie female champion, Deanna Frank, will be trying to become only the second female to break the two-hour barrier. That milestone is currently the sole property of 1986 champion Linda McCauley, who had a 1:59:39 before drafting was outlawed in 1990. Frank turned in a 2:00:53 last year.
The 23rd-annual Heart o' Dixie is slated to begin at 6:30 a.m. at Lake Tiak-O'Khata.
A pair of Neshoba Countians are expected to battle for the Dr. Dickie Nowell Memorial Award for the top finisher from that county. Anthony Steele was the Nowell winner in 2000 with a time of 2:23:03. Last year's winner was Ryan Nance with a time of 2:09:04.
Steele is expected to battle Shayne Martin for this year's top local award. Martin edged Steele in the 2002 Sunfish by two minutes and 43 seconds.
