Oceania Triathlon

March 5, 2017

There was some hot action at this weekend’s City of Armadale Way Out West Triathlon which hosted Race 4 of the Australian Junior Triathlon Series (Youth/Junior/U23), and the 2017 OTU Triathlon Junior Oceania Championships and Mixed Relay Championship.

Queenslander’s Joanne Miller and Matt Hauser took out the OTU Triathlon Junior Oceania Championship with polished performances in what was a hectic day of racing on Saturday.

Joanne Miller shared the top of the leader board with Kira Hedgland going into the final but it was Miller who dug deep on the final lap to secure the OTU Triathlon Junior Oceania Championship from Ainsley Thorpe (NZ) and Jessica Claxton third. After leading for much of the race WA’s Kira Hedgeland finished just off the podium.

In the Junior men’s race it was a wire-to-wire win for Matt Hauser who got away on the bike with Liam Sproule (ACT). The Gold Coast based, Dan Atkins coached Hauser put the after burners on in the run, and at the end of the first lap had run away from the chasers, Luke Burns and Liam McCoach. With Hauser taking the title it was McCoach who stepped it up on the final lap to secure silver from Burns.

Canadian Michael Lori took line honours in the Under 23 men’s race, with Queensland’s Christian Wilson finishing second, but winning the Australian title. Amber Pate was victorious in the women’s race, beating Kerry Mulholland, with local WA girl Kirby Diaz third.

South Australia’s Charlotte Derbyshire notched up another win after dominating the Female Youth A category this series, but was pushed all the way by Taylor Kroyer (WA) in a sprint finish with just 4 seconds separating the pair. Victorian Oscar Dart made sure the South Australian’s didn’t take the double as he beat out Sam Tierney in the Male Youth A category.

The weekend’s racing culminated in the OTU Oceania Junior Mixed Relay Championships with the mighty Queensland 1 Team taking out the title. The team was made up of Nicholas Free, Samantha Whiting, Joanne Miller and Matt Hauser.

The Mixed Relay Championship was also a selection race for the Commonwealth Games Relay Test Event which will be run at the Gold Coast WTS Race on 8th April. The first three teams at Way Out West (a total of 12 athletes) and then the next six male and female fastest relay athletes will be selected to race in the Relay Test Event.

Results

U23 Men
1. Michael Lori (CAN)          55:11
2. Christian Wilson (QLD)  55:40
3. Brady Goodyear (NSW)  56:02

U23 Women
1. Amber Pate          1:04:05
2. Kerry Mulholland         1:04:24
3. Kirby Diaz (WA)  1:04:49

Junior Women
1. Joanne Miller (QLD)
2. Ainsley Thorpe (NZ)
3. Jessica Claxton (WA)

Junior Men
1. Matthew Hauser (QLD) 54:39
2. Liam McCoach (WA) 55:20
3. Luke Burns (VIC)         55:38

Junior Mixed Relay
1. Qld 1
2. WA 1
3. NSW 1