A RECORD entry was received for the Irish Pony Club’s national Triathlon and Biathlon finals which, sponsored by Carr & Day & Martin, were held last Sunday in Athy.

K Leisure was the venue for the swim phase, where the first group of Senior Boys began their warm-up at 6.45am. Competitors then moved on to the nearby Ardscoil Na Trionoide for the shoot, after which it was on to Athy Rugby Club for the run and prize-giving ceremonies.

The results pretty much went to form with the Co Limerick Hunt Branch’s J.J. Power narrowly claiming the overall honours in the Senior Boys’ final on a total of 2,768 points.

He finished just ahead of Carlow’s Jamie Hargaden (2,761), who topped the scores in the run, with Waterford’s Darragh Walsh (2,739) finishing third. The swim phase was won by Offaly’s Tom O’Rourke, while the Islands’ John Asple James scored highest of the 10 competitors in the shoot.

There were 20 starters in the Senior Girls’ final, where Leitrim’s Grace Quinn made her bid for glory early by winning the swim en route to a total of 2,826. Tianne Kelly of the Wicklow Branch finished second on 2,782 with the Duhallows’ Caroline Roche slotting into third on 2,736. Clare’s Grace Murphy topped the shoot scores while the Ward Union’s Clodagh Reilly did so in the run.

The Killinick Branch’s Max Doran scored just over 3,000 points, 3,003 in fact, to win the 21-runner Junior Boys’ final, narrowly denying the Co Limericks a double, despite the best efforts of John Kirby, who had to settle for second on 2,981. United’s Oisin O’Donnell won the swim on his way to overall third on 2,958. Kieran Dunne of Meath scored highest in the shoot while, up from Co Kerry, The Kingdom’s Aaron O’Sullivan, won the concluding run phase.

Hannah Hussey struck for the Galway Mid County Branch thanks mainly to her win in the pool, which saw her complete on a total of 2,956. Consistency across all three phases helped Carlow’s Ali Hughes to a second-place finish on 2,939 and a similar performance saw Waterford’s Aerin Tabb complete to 2,889 points for third. The other phase winners were Tamsin Haughey (shoot) and Waterford’s Orlaith Frisby (run).

The Co Limerick Branch recorded a double when Archie McCartan, who won the swim and was second in the run, topped the overall leaderboard in the two-phase Minimus Boys’ final on 2,400 points.

The Duhallows’ Jamie Cronin finished second overall on 2,220 with Benjamin Galligan of the Wicklow Branch placing third on 2,204. The Islands’ Luke Murphy saw off 33 rivals to top the scores in the run.

There were 60 starters in the Minimus Girls’ final, which was dominated by the North Kilkenny Branch, whose Molly Clarke won both phases to top the overall leaderboard on 2,296 while Nancy Lyons Teehan, who was second in the swim, once again proved her talents beyond the show ring when filling the runner-up spot on 2,156. The Kingdom’s Chloe O’Sullivan, who finished third in the swim and second in the run, slotted into third overall on 2,132.

Fledglings

Members of the Scarteen Branch won both Fledgling finals. In the 11-runner Boys’ section, Charlie Purcell finished second in the swim and first in the run to win on 1,626 points.

His teammate Barry Ryan, who topped the scores in the pool, finished second overall on 1,474 ahead of the Shillelaghs’ Fíann Demetriou (1,330).

There were 31 starters in the Girls’ final where, having won the swim, Patricia Ryan gave the Scarteens a second success on 1,792.

The Ward Union’s Maggie Cooke filled the runner-up position (1,678), with West Waterford’s run phase winner, Isobel Wesley (1,570), placing third.