Bundaberg’s Triathlon Queensland team member Ben Rudd continued his recent domination of Bargara Triathlon Club events with another power-packed victory in the 2022 Branyan Clinic Australia Day Aquathlon at Norville Park.
The 15-year-old rising superstar completed the 3km run, 400m swim, 3km run, 400m swim and 2km run course in a slick 44:58.4 – 1min20.4 seconds faster than his winning time in the event last year – to beat his one year younger brother Chris by 39.6 seconds, with another local, 2020 event champion and 47-year-old Ben Artup coming in third for the second year in a row in a time of 48:32.3.
Chris improved from fifth in 2021 and shaved a whopping 6:20.6 off his time.
The brothers are part of local triathlon champion Rebecca Jenner’s “Next Jenner-ation” Team.
Agnes Water’s regular Ironman Triathlon competitor Angela Furneaux, 44, came in fourth overall and was the Female winner in 50:43.1, with Rebecca Jenner fifth, 1:29.3 behind her.
Four shorter events were also contested, an All Abilities event, a Give It A Try Aquathlon for 13 years and over, made up of a 3km run, 400m swim and a second 3km run, a Turtles Aquathon for seven-to-12-years-olds over distances of a 1km run, 100m swim, 1km run, 100m swim and 50m run, and a Hatchlings race for two-to-six-years-olds incorporating a 40m wade and 200m run.
Inspirational 10-year-old Hallee McCoombes was the overall All Abilities winner, with Matthew Walk, 16, the Male victor.
Emily Young, 14, of Mundubbera claimed the Overall Give it a Try title in 35:00.6, with the second placed Bundaberg’s Jack Gaston picking up the Male crown in 36:05.2.
Locals flexed their muscle in the Turtles category, filling the top five placings, with nine-year-old Riley Findlay leading the field home, clear of second placed Abbeyrose Gaston, who edged out Amelie Ing for the Female gong.
Four-year-old Abigail Proctor also prevailed by the narrowest of margins in the Hatchlings, with runner-up Byron Jenner the male victor.
There were also keenly contested Sprint and Give it a Try Teams events.
A total of 67 athletes battled it out across the program.
Bargara Triathlon Club are now preparing for their Weekend Spectacular on April 30-May 1, with their Pub 2 Club Ocean Swim on the Saturday and Junior and Olympic Distance Triathlons on the Sunday.
Results:
Sprint
Female: 1 Angela Furneaux 50:43.1, 2 Rebecca Jenner 52:12.4, 3 Jayne Thomson 56:35.1.
Male: 1 Ben Rudd (also overall winner) 44:58.4, 2 Chris Rudd 45:38.0, 3 Ben Artup 48:32.3.
Sprint Team
Female: 1 Team McSkip 1:01:49.6, 2 Corinne Darby 1:02:22.5, 3 Dash & Splash 1:06:26.6.
Mixed: 1 Just Try Okay 1:00:05.9, 2 Blood, Sweat & Water 1:04:01.0.
Turtles
Female: 1 Abbeyrose Gaston, 2 Amelie Ing, 3 Bethany Marsman.
Male: 1 Riley Findlay (also Overall winner), 2 Bailey Bowman, 3 Baylin McKay.
All Abilities
Female: 1 Hallee McCoombes (also Overall winner), 2 Hayley Pratt.
Male: 1 Matthew Walk.
Give It a Try
Female: 1 Emily Young (also Overall winner) 35:00.6, 2 Abigail Marsman 41:03.7, 3 Evella McKay 41:04.9.
Male: 1 Jack Gaston 36:05.2, 2 Levi Marsman 40:27.2, 3 Liam Vaughan 42:07.0.
Give it a Try Team
Female: 1 Two Old Ducks.
Male: 1 Wyllie Coyote 36:21.7.
Mixed: Team Kerby (also Overall winner) 35:19.5.
Hatchlings
Female: 1 Abigail Proctor (also Overall winner), 2 Greta Ing, 3 Immogen Kemps.
Male: 1 Byron Jenner.
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