PINEHURST – On a beautiful Saturday, May 14, 154 kids age 4 to 12 participated in the ninth annual FirstHealth of the Carolinas Youth Triathlon.
This closed-course event comprising four races with age-appropriate distances for each age division featured a pool swim, a closed bike course on the Fitness Center campus and the Pinehurst Surgical parking lot and deck, and a greenway trail run.
Winners in the first race (for age 4-5 years) were: Boys – Ben VanAntwerp, first; Benjamin Snyder, second; and Tanner Tipton, third; and Girls – Caroline Antil, first; Clare Miller, second; and Morgan Litton, third.
Race two was the 6-7 age division, and those winners were: Boys – Jake Van Antwerp, first; Nikolas Inmon, second; and Austin Hanson, third; and Girls – Lavinia Booker, first; Mackenzie Dorsch, second; and Madeline Dorsch, third.
The 8-9 age division winners were: Boys – Jacob Dorsch, first; Jack Greaves, second; and Kenan Van Scoyoc, third; and Girls – Ava Cannady, first; Clara Booker, second; and Kayla Lubba, third.
Winners in the 10-12 age division were: Boys – Aiden McCafferty, first; Jordan Greenblatt, second; and Orion Lasater, third; and Girls – Gabriella Luneau, first; Kaitlyn Byrne, second; and Sophia Blatchley, third.
The 2016 event included a pledge drive for the athletes to raise funds for The Foundation of FirstHealth's Pediatric CARE Fund. By raising the most money ($135), Audrey Summers received a gift certificate for a free bicycle from long-standing Youth Triathlon sponsor Rainbow Cycles.
Sponsors were Rainbow Cycles; NuView Home Theaters & More; Brixx Wood Fired Pizza; Southern Pines Ace Hardware; Dr. Fabian Rodriguez; Mosquito Authority; Dr. Saunders, DDS; Rita's Italian Ice; and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing. Carolina Snapshot Sports Photography provided photographs.
Event organizer Jodi Heimrich (at back) is shown with division winners from the May 14 FirstHealth of the Carolinas Youth Triathlon. More than 150 children ages 4 to 12 ran, swam and biked age-appropriate distances during the ninth annual youth fitness event.