TINA L. SCOTT
EDITOR
The annual Black Squirrel Scurry Triathlon was held Saturday, July 29, 2024.
The Black Squirrel Scurry is a fun triathlon event for charity, considered a “paddling triathlon.” The race includes 2 miles paddling kayaks on the Prairie River, a 17.5 mile bike ride featuring the River Bend Trail out to the countryside of Lincoln County, and a 5k trail run through the Merrill Area Rec Complex and Council Grounds State Park.
Dozens of athletes gathered to take on the challenge, including those who raced as individuals or in tandem or relay teams. Racers included many northcentral Wisconsin residents and other athletes from as far away as Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois.
Individual racers ranged in age from 15 to 72, with Merrill’s 15-year-old Erik Grunenwald being the youngest competitor and the only athlete under age 18. He came in at a very respectible time of 1:48:27, beating his time from last year by more than 11 minutes. He was the sixth place male finisher.
For the men, individual racer 55-year-old Gerard Lauzen of Ironwood, Mich., took first place and individual overall with a time of 1:35:04, followed by 28-year-old Chris Dade of Madison (1:39:22), 55-year-old Joe McCabe of Wausau (1:40:24), 54-year-old Doug Carbone of Merrill (1:45:47), and 20-year-old Ian Schuetze of Merrill (1:47:57), taking second through fifth places, respectively.
For the women, individual racer 50-year-old Wendy Licht of Merrill took first place and individual overall with a time of 1:48:20, followed by 47-year-old Melissa Omernick of Gleason (2:02:30)(beating her last year’s time by 23 seconds), 38-year-old Katie Behn of Minocqua (2:10:56), 53-year-old Lori Smerz of St. Charles, Ill. (2:15:00), and 39-year-old Dana Klug of Merrill (2:18:15), taking second through fifth places, respectively.
Team Owl took first place for tandem mixed teams.
The Northwoods Veterans Post and Friends of the River Bend Trail will be the beneficiaries of this year’s event, along with a small donation to Scout Troop 503 and the VFW Auxiliary.
For more information, go to: blacksquirrelscurry.com.
Next year’s Black Squirrel Scurry will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025. Registration will open March 1, 2025, at Runsignup.com.
