Calamity Matt places fourth at Grizzly Triathlon

MISSOULA — Nearly 20 Lake County triathletes competed in the Grizzly Triathlon Saturday, highlighted by Polson’s Matt “Calamity” Seeley, who took fourth overall in the race.

Deanna McElwee highlighted local women competing, managing a top 25 finish. Mitch Young, Malia Seeley, Kevin Detwiler and Bonnie Doerfler all ended up on the podium in their respective age groups.

Pat Lake, Dave Lake, Anna Marie Leafty, Abby Lake, Jaime Young, Taryn Dupuis, Ali Bronsdon, Brande Merganthaler and Jay Sampson all represented the Mission Valley as well.

Racers commented on the nice weather being a welcome change from last year’s nasty conditions. No matter the climate, the Grizzly always seems to be a favorite for locals.

“It’s always fun and, for me, it was incredibly humbling,” McElwee said. She finished fifth in her age group as well as being the only local woman to break into the top 25.

Triathletes will appear again locally in this summer’s Polson Triathlon on August 16. The Olympic-distance race has grown exponentially in its first few years, attracting some of the premier athletes in the region to Polson.