The third. annual Rotary Skeena’ Valley Triathlon of-. jj

fered a top prize that nobody. wanted until it: was offered

to third-place men’s open

former Terrace athlete now living i in Kamloops. —

Moen gladly accepted the -
original grand prize of a trip to -
Hawaii to compete to the ‘Bud
Light’ ironman triathlon that
features much longer distances ©
for all three venues — running,
swimming and biking.

Moen, whose third-place time
of two hours, 2.19 minutes was
about 12. minutes off Jaime
Cathcart’s. record-setting time,
didn’t hesitate when organizer
Dr. -Dale: Greenwood offered
him the trip, after it was turned

‘down by the other top male and
female competitors.
_ “] came here to win, and even
though it’s sort of second-hand,
I’ll take the trip,”” Moen told us
after the race. ‘‘It means a lot
more concentrated training be-
tween now and October 14 (date
of the Hawaii event), but at least
I’ll be able to say I took-part.”’

Cathcart, the fourth-ranked |
B.C, tri-athlete out of Van-
couver, ° broke Leon Fischer's -
1988 mark of 1.54.57 with a time.
of 1.50.38. In fact, records were

set in four of the five categories.

Runnerup to Cathcart was

1987 winner of the initial race— _

John Nelson of Prince Rupert. an
He was five minutes, three sec-
onds behind Cathcart.

On the: ladies’ side, Prince.

Rupert’s Carol Coan placed first
in two hours, 37.22 minutes.
This was well off the record set
last year by Michelle Roy-
Fischer (2.18.30). Roy-Fischer
and her °88 winning husband
Leon failed to enter this year.

Rupert’s Cheryl Steele came
second, two minutes and seven
seconds behind Coan. Janice
Dick was ‘third, another five
minutes in back of Steele.

In team competition where
three-person groups had one
person compete in one of three
venues, Mike Christensen and
Ed Ansems picked up a. new

_ swimmer (Doug Mackenzie) and
won the men’s team event for
the second year in a row. Last
year they won with Terry
Liewellyn in the water.

Their time of one hour, 48.15
minutes topped their ’88 mark
of 1.51.39.

One minute and 29 seconds
behind in runnerup position was
the trio of Dr. Paul Clark, Earl
Russel and Billy Holland. Clark,
the world champion wheelchair
_athlete, had to race with a two-
and-a-half minute handicap due
to his prowess on the road.

Wes Smith, Stephen Chu and
David Anthony settled for third,
about seven minutes out of first.

The mixed team section was
hotly. contended with the
Smithers’ gang of Richard Har-
rison, Peter Krause ‘and Sarah

Goodacre posting a one-minute, ,

seveni-second win over the 1988
‘winners ‘from Princé Rupert —

Joe Nelson, Paul Cope and Mis-

ty Watson.

The Smithers. crew timed in at
1,49.02 to set a new record over
Rupert's total of 2. 00. 34 from

"88.

Thitd place werit to Alison
th: |

and Carl Lutz, Randy
Huissman. They were timed at
2.02.23.
The. ‘ladies’

team 6

winner Gary Moen, . the -

Ex-Terrace athlete Gary

Moen, now of Kamloops,
came third in the men's in-
dividual event, but reaped

the prize of a trip to the
“Hawaiian Ironman triathion’ -

when the first. and second
finishers said they ° couldn't

‘use It...

First ald and ambulance teams had to respond to one emergency at the beginning of the

Skeena Valley Triathlon when the water i
. Redden. He was boated to shore, treated for hypothermia,

n Lakelse Lake proved too cold for swimmer Clark .
and recovered shortly afterward.

tracted only five groups. It was
won by Sue Simpson, Jaci Sturn
and. Christine Sharples. Their

- time of 2.20.7 took more than 11.
‘minutes off the old mark of

2.13.29 set in *88 by the Sturn
family of mother Joan and
daughters Jaci and Lisa.

Gail Sheasby, Diana Wood
and Lena LePage teamed up for

’ Youth Is no barrier to fitness, and it’s no barrler to entering

“second place: (2 21.32), while
Gillian Wilson, Anita Bush and
Julia Beatty Placed third
(2.28.26). eo.

' When it was all over, Gteen-

wood counted up the entries to
.134 — more than double last

year’s list. He felt that more
than 300 fans turned up at the
Lakelse Lake boat launch start

the triathion elther. Minimum age for competitors ts 15.

Dan Hillert photo,

and finish’ line, but it was 2
smaller crowd than last year.

- The only serious mishap came .

in the water where Clark Redden
suffered hypothermia midway
through the opening swim sec-
tion and had to be hauled from
the water. He recovered, but
couldn’t finish the race.
Departing Caledonia Ker-

NEWT ORR

category.

mode

Al all-Terrace team of Christine Sharples, Jaci Sturn and
Sue’ Simpson took first place in the women's team.

Letham toughed it out. He pick-

ed up a flat tire on the second- .

leg bikirig. He went home and
made repairs, then went back to
finish the race. It was all closed
down by the time he’s ran his
CS es

42K

First place fInish In the men’s team division went to a local
trio: Mike Christensen, Ed Ansams and Doug Mackenzie.

basketball coach Phil