Teen trio show talent in race

Kayakers set out on Pandora Pond in the Tremains Corporate Triathlon. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

They may have seemed the youngest team in the race - the "spring chickens" as the MC said during prizegiving.

But the Tremain's Corporate Triathlon in Napier yesterday was much more than a fun day out for Georgia Creagh, Jenna Tidswell and Maggie Franks, who despite their tender years were more of a super-team among the more than 280 teams that contested the 22nd annual event.

Georgia, a 16-year-old Napier Girls' High School student, and Havelock North High School pupil Jenna, 14, are in some serious training and next month are off to the world schools' orienteering championships in Turkey.

Yesterday, Georgia was able to stick to the running, Jenna took to the cycling with an aplomb which overshadowed her limited experience in bike racing, and Maggie, 14, did the swim leg.

Sponsored by Gannet Beach Adventure, it proved a successful combination. The team stuck with the pace all the way to finish first in the female section in 1hr 4min 25.47sec - just over two minutes behind men's winners and Pan Pac mill team Pulp Sport, and 10 minutes quicker than the women's runners-up.

The fastest team of all was PAL Masters, who won the mixed teams section.
The kayak triathlon men's section was won by MJBT Contractors (1hr 3.75sec).

Tri Chicks, a Hastings District Council Team, won the female kayak triathlon in 1hr 20min 59.63sec, and Cape Physio 3 won the kayak triathlon's mixed teams section in 1hr 10min 7.46sec.

The region's biggest employer, the Hawke's Bay District Health Board, again had the most teams, although its total of 35 was down on last year. The Napier City Council had 19 teams.

The open-air prizegiving at Westshore was over soon after 2pm, two announcements highlighting how the event runs in the modern era.

Two teams hadn't returned their transponders - devices worn during the triathlon for recording times and placings.

Also highlighting the technology used, another announcement followed: "All your results, with splits, are up online now. They'll be there when you get home."