By JARROD POTTER
IT WAS a long time coming, but finally the splashing, dashing, and hopefully no bike crashing, around Lysterfield Lake returned on Sunday for first and only Casey Cardinia Triathlon Squad Dirty Triathlon of 2014.
With one race to decide the championship, the starter’s pistol for the long course race produced a cheeky inland dash up an adjacent peninsula from Tony Evans that did not pay dividends – as he tried to put a buffer on the better swimmers.
Splashing carefully around killer whale, Nemo and shark (inflatables), the cream rose to the top through the swim, as Russell Kennedy and Chris Gumley left the water neck-and-neck. They raced up the dam wall and across to the bike transition for the 30 kilometre ride around the Lake’s mountain-bike course.
The all-terrain triathlon could not split the two leaders, with Dale Hemley in no-man’s land between the front runners and a group behind him of Stuart Walpole, Andrew McKenzie and Dean Jackson.
With the nine-kilometre run left, the Kennedy-Gumley tussle loomed as a close finish as they left the bikes, but Kennedy managed to charge home and hold on to an 18-second lead to claim the championship.
Belinda Hadden exited the water third overall after an exceptional swim and continued her strong form through the bike and the run to finish first in the female category and ninth overall.
In the shorter lengths, the sprint category top-three were Andrew Noordhoff, club member Tom Boatman and Chris Trounson, then Gael Somerville, Julia Clark, and Alison O’Hare for the ladies. The mini category was won by club members Sienna Grove and Jarrod Morey.
With a field of 50 competitors testing their mettle across the long, sprint and mini courses, it proved a stellar success for the club.
CASEY CARDINIA TRIATHLON SQUAD
DIRTY TRIATHLON RESULTS
LONG COURSE – MALE
Russell Kennedy (2:15:44), Chris Gumley (2:16:02), Dale Hemley (2:19:57), Mark McNamara (2:26:30), Stuart Walpole (2:28:12), Andrew McKenzie (2:28:26), Dean Jackson (2:28:35), Dale Linaker (2:37:03), Tony Evans (2:44:20), Mark Mackenzie (2:51:26), Daniel Hahn (2:52:27), Liam Davies (3:00:14), Ian Renouf (3:06:45), Michael Gallasch (3:08:55), Nathan Richer (3:21:23).
LONG COURSE – FEMALE
Belinda Hadden (2:37:21), Elizabeth Dornom (2:40:12), Tori Carroll (2:41:08), Janine Donaldson (2:53:20), Katie Wells (3:00:26), Flying Kiwis (3:24:42).
