On Sunday, 15 October 2023, Champion Lakes provided the perfect backdrop for an exciting day of racing, bringing together athletes from far and wide for the EXSS Sprint Duathlon. This race marked the second event in the Triathlon WA Senior State Series and the first event for the Junior State Series for 2023/24
While gorgeous blue skies made for excellent pictures, the competitors battled fierce headwinds and swirling gusts, making the race a true test of endurance and resilience. Hats off (literally) to the race organizers and volunteers for taking these gusty conditions in their stride and making the morning enjoyable for all. Having all participants re-enter the island only amplified the excitement making it an extremely spectator friendly course.
Driving participants to the finish line were thoughts of the famous EXSS recovery buffet; a post-race feast highly appreciated by hungry athletes.
Despite the seasonal conditions, duathletes of all ages poured their hearts into the competition to deliver outstanding performances across all age groups.
OPEN FEMALE FIELD:
UWA’s Sian Munks made a scorching start, clocking an impressive time of 17:15 on the first run leg into T1. Aleisha Wesley (North Coast) and Herlene Yu (Fremantle) were hot on her heels coming into T1 in second and third place.
As the race unfolded, Munks maintained her lead of over a minute as she settled into the cycle. Wesley pushed the pedal to the metal on her bike, outpacing Munks to slot into first place with a 3-minute lead. After T2, the rankings stood with Wesley in first place, Munks in second, and Yu in third.
The stakes were high as the second running leg commenced. Munks had the fastest run, but just couldn’t close the gap set by Wesley’s lightning-quick bike leg.
Wesley managed to maintain her lead and secured the victory, earning the title of State Duathlon Champion in a time of just 1:00:04.2. Munks finished in a super close second (1:00:39.9), with Yu in third place (1:03:55.4).
OPEN MALE FIELD:
Nick Thompson (UWA) and Reece Harris (Mandurah) both had super fast first run legs, crossing the timing mat almost simultaneously. Thompson took the initial lead with a speedy T1 out onto the cycle leg, followed closely by Harris. It was neck and neck heading into the bike course.
Matt Burton paced himself on the first run, coming into T1 in third place just a few seconds behind Harris. Ronan Hays (Mandurah) and Rowan Kerr (XTR) came into T1 in fourth and fifth respectively.
Showing his strength on the bike leg, Burton overtook both Harris and Thompson during the cycle to roll into T2 in first place.
After a quick transition, Burton continued to outpace his competitors on the final stretch, taking home a well-deserved win and State Championship title in just 51:05.7, ahead of Thompson in second place (51:47.8), and Harris in third (54:19.2).
Hays finished strong to land in fourth, and Kerr crossed the line in fifth, both adding Triathlete of the Year points to the board!
AGE GROUP STATE CHAMPIONS:
| Age Group | Female Winner | Male Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 20-24 | Cassy Newman (Fremantle) | Daniel Buis (North Coast) |
| 25-29 | Amie Thompson (Stadium) | Jack McLeay (Exceed) |
| 30-34 | Melanie Wade (Stadium) | Chris Williams (Fremantle) |
| 35-39 | Alexandra Meek (UWA) | Joao Carlos Bernardes Neto (Non-Club) |
| 40-44 | Anna Massey (Exceed) | Mark Oakshott (Non-Club) |
| 45-49 | Alison Thompson (Exceed) | Danny Cobb (Mandurah) |
| 50-54 | Natasha Pertwee (Rockingham) | Russell Harris (Mandurah) |
| 55-59 | Lisa Hitchcock (North Coast) | Matt McKay (Mandurah) |
| 60-64 | Lise Ashton (Fremantle) | Andrew Johns (Bunbury) |
| 65-69 | Trish Vickery (Busselton) | Steve Ware (Non-Club) |
| 70-74 | NA | Ross Clark (XTR) |
JUNIOR STATE CHAMPIONS:
This season saw the start of Junior State Championships, with the EXSS Duathlon being the inaugural crown to win.
| Age Group | Female Winner | Male Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 12-13 | Florence Erskine (North Coast) | Dean Skroza (XTR) |
| 14-15 | Ella Rayner (North Coast) | Luke Williams (North Coast) |
| 16-19 | Erin Driscoll (North Coast) | Christophe Gardner (Bunbury) |
THANK YOU:
Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the dedicated volunteers, race directors, and staff for contributing to the success of the event. A massive appreciation goes out to the WA Technical Officials and all the athletes who participated!