Three triathletes from Santa Barbara’s Elite Racing Team took top honors in events at the Strawberry Fields Triathlon in Oxnard Shores on Sunday.
Jason Smith won the overall title and Lauren Capone was the women’s champion in the Olympic distance race, while Adrienne Hengels won the women’s title in the sprint race.
Jason Smith was the overall winner in the Olympic distance race at the Strawberry Fields Triathlon.
Smith covered the Olympic course of 1.5-kilometer swim, 40k bike and 10k swim in 1 hour, 49 minutes, 20.6 seconds. His splits were 20:51.6, 50:13 and 35.56.
The course was flat, which is conducive to my style of racing,” Smith said. Stick to one powerful ‘gear’ and hold it for as long as you can. Big thanks to Coach Mateo for getting the team ready for this race. Everyone from the team who raced today made it to the podium. It’s a good day for the Elite Racing Team.”
Capone passed her former teammate, Kathrine Warren, in the final 500 meters of the run to claim the victory. Her time of 2:00.13.4 (splits: 22:19.8, 58:20.9, 37:36.4) was eighth fastest overall.
“It was fun to take advantage of the flat course especially after all the hill training we’ve been doing,” said Capone, who’s won titles this year in an Ironman 70.3 Triathlon in Lawrence Kansas and an Olympic distance event in Ventura. “I got a lot out of the race today, but now I’m excited to set my focus solely on the 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas this September.”
Warren, a world age-group champion at the Olympic distance, finished in 2:01.02.3 (ninth overall).
Elite Racing Team’s Kristina Hill finished third in the women’s competition.
“Today the team was focused and strong,” said Mateo Mercur, head Coach of the Elite Racing Team. “Jason took the lead at about half way through the bike and kept pushing himself through the run. Lauren was incredible today. She is all heart. She stuck to her race plan and was patient right up until the decisive moment in the final stretch. Kathrine is a very talented athlete and LC had to race like a champion to win.”
Other top local finishers included Kyle Visin, fourth in 1:55.49.1, Jordan Littell, 10th in 2:01.06, and Taj Hudson, 11th in 2:01.15.8.
In the sprint race (quarter-mile swim, 11.5-mile bike, 5k run), Elite’s Hengels was timed in 1:04.26.3.
Carl Parker of Santa Barbara finished seventh in 1:02.56.8. The winner was 18-year-old Kevin Joyce of Northridge in 57:40.
