Media Release

June 28, 2005 --- Developing Junior and U23 Triathletes Heat Up St Malo!

Heavy early morning rain on Sunday was replaced by mild but windy weather in St. Malo as fifty-five Junior and Under 23 athletes arrived in Manitoba for the first of five National Junior and U23 Development Series events. The St Malo Multisport weekend was the first event in the National series, which featured a sprint distance triathlon (750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run), with Junior and U23 athletes racing together, and results split after by category. 

The action started with the women’s race. Jessica Kirkwood (ON) exited the water first along with Kirsten Sweetland (BC) and Alicia Kaye (ON), one minute ahead of a large chase group. Kaye cycled strongly to break away, first from Kirkwood then Sweetland, and increased her lead to 47 seconds as she started the run. Locals Amy Briscoe (MB) and Erin Braun (MB) who train with the Manitoba National Triathlon Centre (MNTC), blazed through transition and broke away from the pack to start the run. However, Kirkland and Sweetland, who put in the fastest run splits, passed them. Kaye hung on to capture the U23 winners jersey in 1:06:16 followed by Kirkwood (1:06:34) and Braun (1:06:49). Sweetland won the Junior event in 1:06:41 followed by Briscoe in 1:07:23 and Catherine Hogan (QC) in 1:08:18.   Three additional MNTC athletes made the top 15, Jill Dobrinksy 8^th in 1:12:59, with teammate Jenna Wilson 9^th just seconds behind her in 1:13:06, and Teresa Samek 14^th in 1:15:25. 

In an exciting men’s race, Andrew McCartney (BC) exited the water first followed closely by Sean Bechtel (ON), Colin Jenkins (ON), Mathieu O’Halloran (BC) and Giullaume Vallieres (QC). Jenkins and Bechtel quickly broke away on the bike and increased their lead to 50 seconds as they entered transition. Ben Adam (AB) cycled himself into third place almost 30 seconds ahead of a large chase group. Jenkins pulled away on the run and cruised to victory (57:38) in the U23 event followed by Bechtel (57:58) and Adam (59:27). MNTC athlete, Jacques Marcoux finished 4^th in 1:02:52. In the Junior event, Jordan Bryden (AB) ran strongly to pull away from the pack and take the Sugoi winners jersey in 59:41 followed by Grant Burwash (AB) (1:00:05) who moved up six spots with a blazing 16:52 run to finish second, just ahead of McCartney (1:00:15).  MNTC junior, Willie Bell finished only 44 seconds off the podium with a 5^th place finish in 1:00:59. Teammate Blair Peters fresh off his Duathlon Nationals win placed 8^th and earned the 2^nd fastest run split of the junior men’s field.  

The National series moves this coming weekend to Trois Rivieres, QC on July 2^nd, where MNTC athletes Amy Briscoe, Jill Dobrinsky and Jacques Marcoux will be racing for more series points.  

The provincial categories in the 10^th annual event hosted by the Tribalistic Triathlon team featured an Olympic and Sprint distance triathlon and duathlon.  In the Olympic triathlon event (1500m swim, 40km cycle and 10km run) the overall winners were Edie Fisher and Jon Balabuck.  In the Sprint triathlon (750m swim. 20km cycle, 5km run) Jenny Ayers and Chris Livingstone earned top overall placings.   Overall Olympic duathlon male winner was Paul Dyck, with the Sprint duathlon titles going to Janice Dumont and Laurent Lacroix.  

For full results see: http://www.triathlon.mb.ca/rr_2005_StMaloMultisport.htm.  For additional information please contact Triathlon Manitoba 925-5636.

This page was last updated on June 28, 2005