Sunday at Susana Ocasio Santana Park (also known as Altona Lagoon) was a blast as twenty-one junior athletes participated in the Junior Tri VI Silly Sockathlon, sporting their silliest socks for the occasion.
The youngest group, ages 5-6, kicked things off with a 1/4 mile run, followed by a 1/2 mile bike ride, and a final 1/4 mile run. Hanako Sanders took the lead early on and never looked back, finishing strong in first place overall. Joey Nason was the top male finisher.
In the 7-8 age group, Jeremy Westby made an impressive start with a strong 1/4 mile run but was overtaken during the 1-mile bike ride by Hadley Whitworth and Michael Kuczynski. Hadley maintained her lead during the second 1/2 mile run, fending off a determined challenge from Milo Bird, finishing 40 seconds ahead of him.
The 9-11 group saw Emma Whitworth dominate the first 1/2 mile run, completing it in 4 minutes and leading the race until the 1-mile bike ride. Wyatt Jarrin, 24 seconds behind after the run, overtook Emma during the bike portion and extended his lead by another 16 seconds. However, Emma made a strong comeback, reclaiming the lead and finishing the final 1/2 mile run in an overall time of 14:58. Wyatt finished second with a time of 15:02.
The 12-15 year-olds joined the 9-11 group for their start but completed a longer course: a 1/2 mile run, 3-mile bike ride, and a final 1-mile run. Zavier Saleem, a seasoned multi-sport athlete, finished first in 28:54, while Ava Whitworth, a talented swimmer, held her own in the running and biking segments, completing the course in 31:14.
Looking ahead to the next Junior Tri VI event, there will be a triathlon (swim/bike/run) held on Sunday, April 13 at 7am at Cramers Park for kids, ages 5 to 15. For more information, please call 340-513-2707.
