On Sunday, the Junior Tri VI committee, a subgroup of the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation, held a run/bike/run event for kids ages 5 to 15 at the Susana Ocasio Santana Park in Gallows Bay.
With kids from six different schools, from experienced athletes to first-timers, the Valentine-themed “You Make My Heart Race” Junior Duathlon was a great success, according to race director Theresa Harper.
“Our last event, the Great Pumpkin Junior Triathlon, in November 2022, was postponed due to bad weather and then eventually canceled due to more bad weather, so we were thrilled to hold Sunday’s duathlon under nearly perfect conditions,” she said.
The morning started with the youngest kids (5-6 years) on the line to complete the run/bike/run course within the well-maintained park. Pearl B Larsen student Emmitt Moore placed third last year and wanted to improve his time this year. That he did by placing first overall and cutting off over 30 seconds from his time last year.
Newcomer Jeremy Westby of the St Croix Seventh-day Adventist School was second, and Michael Kuczynski of Good Hope Country Day School (GHCDS) was third. First-timer Hadley Whitworth was the first-place female in the .25-mile run/.5-mile bike/.25-mile run. Charley Gay was second.
Dane, Hadley’s brother, lead the 7-8 group from the start in the .25-mile run/.5-mile bike/.5-mile run. Wyatt Jarrin made up a few seconds on Dane in the bike portion and trailed closely behind for the entire race. He finished in a solid second place behind Dane. Ian Bouzianis was third.
Several strong runners led the 9-11 category on the first .5-mile run, with Hudson Mirocha in the lead. Ava Whitworth was a few seconds behind as she began the 1-mile bike course. Unfortunately, she suffered a flat tire and had to exchange her bike mid-race, which set her back several minutes. Sage Weiss caught up to Hudson on the bike and overtook him on the final .5-mile run. Hudson finished in second; Drew Sommer was the third-place male finisher.
Ava’s younger sister, Emma, gained the first-place position while Ava was seeking a different bike. Ava couldn’t make up enough time on the run, so Emma took the gold, with Ava in second place. GHCDS student Hazel Gilbert was third.
The small 12-15 group was led by first-timer KoleBert Daisley on the first leg, a .5-mile run. Just six seconds behind was Tristan Samuel, followed by Weston Wagner. Weston had a fast run-to-bike transition and jumped into the lead on the 3-mile bike ride. He increased his lead on the 1-mile run and crossed the finish line over one minute ahead of Tristan and KoleBert, respectively.
At the conclusion of the fun morning, the Junior Tri VI committee held a Valentine-themed raffle and awarded medals to the top finishers in each age group and finishers’ ribbons to all participants.
The final Junior Tri VI event of the fall/spring season will be held on May 7 at Cramer’s Park. The Grand Finale Junior Triathlon, which will include a swim, bike and a run, will be an open event for kids ages 5 to 15. Flotation devices will be available for the swim portion of the event for beginner swimmers. For more information on adult and junior multi-sport events, call 513-2707.
