It was a good day to be a Regina multi-sport athlete in Estevan on the first day of competition in the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
Regina athletes Molly Lakustiuk and Jonathon Warawa dominated the 12 and 13 age grouping in the blistering summer sun to claim gold medals in the triathlon that consisted of swimming, bicycling and running throughout the central neighbourhoods of Estevan.
Cosmas Maskatos, another Regina competitor, outlasted his nearest competitors to claim the gold in the boys’ 14 and 15 age group.
Ryann Handley from Moose Jaw was the only non-Regina interloper on the medal podium on Monday evening. Although she trains just down the highway, she survived a wipe-out in the cycling portion of the race as she attempted a fast transition from biking to running near the leisure centre, where the athletes started their gruelling tests of endurance by swimming 500 metres in the RM of Estevan Aquatic Centre pool before hopping on bicycles for a 10-kilometre spin that included seven laps around the Jubilee Park area of the city before finishing up with a four-kilometre run in the same neighbourhood, completing the race in front of the Estevan Exhibition grounds.
The 12 and 13-year-olds run a slightly less demanding course.
The trio train regularly with the Regina Multisport Club, they said, taking to the bikes two to four times a week and running at least twice a week. They also train in the swimming pool.
“Ella and I push one another. We practise together,” said Molly, referring to the second-place finisher Ella Perras. They have exchanged places on the first-place steps before, but on Monday it was Molly’s turn to shine as she passed her friend midway through the run to the finish line.
“The heat didn’t really bother me that much,” said Jonathon, referring to his race to first place in the same age category.
Heat was an issue for Cosmas, but, he said, he found the course in Estevan purely to his liking. He preferred the clean and clear course that allowed him to build a good lead over second place finisher Kaitao Han.
Molly admitted she fell back a bit during the biking portion of the race. “I’m not a strong biker,” said the wispy but determined competitor.
Names and times posted for the 14-15-year-old boys from third to first saw Reece Gilbert post a time of 52:07 while Kaitao Han came in at 47:34 and Cosmas with a time of 45:21.
For the 14-15-year-old girls, it was Sadie McGriskin in third with a time of l.01:54 then Jill Gulka in second with a time of 55:28 and Ryann with a 54:16 time.
The 12-13-year-old boys’ bronze medal went to Zach Makari with a time of 1.25:06 with silver to Nicholas Yuzdepski with a time of 1.16:00, and Jonathon with a blistering gold medal time of 46:08.
The 12-13-year-old girls’ bronze was claimed by Hunter Schroeder with a time of 42:21 followed by Ella, who claimed the silver with a time of 40:04 and Molly with gold and a time of 39:47.
Adah DeLeeuw, Josie Andrist and Mikayla Hack were the Southeast representatives in the female categories.
