Crowds cheer competitors as they cross the finish line located at Carpinteria State Park at the foot of Linden Avenue. (Presidio Sports Photo)
Many of the front finishers who competed in the 15th annual Carpinteria Triathlon did so in preparation for upcoming world competitions.
The fastest in the Sprints Course, Leroy Thomas, and the fastest on the Olympic Course, Kyle Visin, used Sunday’s race as a precursor for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii October 13th.
Despite a bit of a lonely bike leg Visin enjoyed the race, finishing in 2:07:47, and remembering it as his first race ever in 2006.
?I absolutely love this race,” Visin said. “You know it?s really well put on but it has a local hometown feel, so I really enjoy that so to come across the line first is kind of special.?
Thomas who finished first in the Sprints Course in 53:50 felt similarly about his race. ?It?s fun to come and do the local races and just kind of get a feel for what my body?s doing, but you know, my legs were good today.?
Other competitors were in the mix as well, with UCSB?s triathlete and champion of the Olympic Course, Stepan Paul taking fifth place overall.
Despite injury from a bike crash just two days earlier, Paul?s teammate Jonathan Waltman finished second overall in 2:13:48.
?The swim was just ?get through it?. I was swimming with one arm for a little bit and then it loosened up a little and I was able to just drag it,? Waltman said.
He guessed he was about five or six minutes slower because of his injury.
RESULTS
Behind Waltman, Patrick Hartman in the 45 to 49 age group finished third in 2:14:03.
For the women, teammates Lauren Capone and Savannah Dearden finished first and third (fourth and tenth place overall), respectively, on the Olympic Course with set plans to compete for USA in the Triathlon World Championships in New Zealand later this month.
Dearden, finishing in 2:20:36, thought it was a really fun course and enjoyed chasing the competition of her teammate Capone who finished in 2:15:13 as the first woman.
?It was okay, it took me a while to get going on the bike, but once I hit the hills it was alright,? Dearden explained.
Stacia Watson finished second for the women in ninth place overall, just 33 seconds in front of Dearden.
Danielle Harper finished 17th overall as the fastest woman for the Sprints Course in an overall time of 1:02:22.
Jaime Lynn Wooten wasn?t too far behind Harper on the Sprints Course with the second fastest women?s time of 1:03:33.
For the Olympic Team competitions, ?I?m Gonna Get You Sucka? placed first with a time of 2:07:44 just 3 seconds faster than individual champion Visin. The team was comprised of Chad Stewart for the bike leg, Erika Lilley for the swim leg and Tommy Schmitz as the runner.
The Olympic distance was made up of a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run seeing 227 finishers, while the Sprints Course distance consisted of a .5K swim, 15K bike and 5K run with 467 finishers.
