Nearly 400 entrants test their ultimate physical abilities at Wood River Triathlon

Brent Feeney, Sports Writer

Aug 9, 2015 3:45 PM

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WOOD RIVER – It's been said that triathlons are among the ultimate tests of a person's abilities.

It's a three-event race consisting of swimming, cycling and road running and it's done back-to-back, with no breaks. The best-known triathlon is the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii, which has a 2.4-mile open-water swim, a 112-mile cycling event and a full 26.2-mile marathon at the end.

SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF WOOD RIVER TRIATHLON:

The Wood River Parks and Recreation Department held their own version of a triathlon Saturday morning at The Aquatic Center and in the streets of Wood River for the 30^th year as some 390 entrants took part in the Wood River Triathlon, part of the St. Louis muniTRI Sprint Triathlon Series, a series of St. Louis-area short-distance triathlons.

“We started the triathlon when The Aquatic Center opened 30 years ago,” said Wood River Parks and Recreation Director Jason Woody. “It's a fun, family-oriented event that draws people from both sides of the river and a great way to show people from the area what we have to offer here in Wood River.”

The event consisted of a 450-meter swim around the center's Olympic-sized pool (nine lengths of the pool, starting at one corner and ending on the opposite corner), a 12-mile cycling phase (six laps around a two-mile circuit) and a four-mile run (two laps around the two miles used for the cycling phase). It's designed for both people starting out in triathlons and for people who are looking for a test of their fitness.

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“We had both a lot of repeat participants and a lot of newcomers this year,” Woody said. “This is the fourth one I've had since I became the director and it's always a great event.”

Not only do participants and supporters encourage each other, they also see what the Wood River area offers. “We get a lot of exposure for the event,” Woody said. “People see our businesses, our center and what we have to offer in the area.”

Participants were sent off for the swimming portion of the race one-by-one in 15-second intervals, with the fastest times being declared the winners.

The men's overall winner was Mike Barro, who covered the distance in 1:02:08, followed by Doug Havlin in 1:03:44, Brian Schoenholz in 1:03:58, Dave Pitts in 1:08:07 and Tom Selm in 1:08:48, John Roth in 1:09:03, Caleb Schoeber in 1:09:09, Shaun Schnettgoecke in 1:09:42, Alex Toennis in 1:09:54 and Randy Thoroman 1:10:18.

The women's overall winner was Lynn Collins in 1:10:16, followed by Kelly Fox in 1:11:18, Renee White in 1:14:19, Jill Laswell in 1:16:18, Melissa Moore-Schmitt in 1:16:26, Abby Burgdorf in 1:19:23, Emily Johnson in 1:19:42, Jan Wrischnik in 1:19:46, Mary Jo Jalinsky in 1:20:14 and Nicole Titus in 1:20:42.

Men's age-group winners were Mark Eldridge (14-and-under), Austin Zahm (15-19), Schoeber (20-24), Brandon Winklemann (25-29), Thoroman (30-34), Schoenholz (35-39), Havlin (40-44), Barro (45-49), Michael Wehr (50-54), Rich Stone (55-59), Carl Dake (60-64), Bob Patterson (65-69), Bill Coyne (70-74), Jim Noonan (75-79) and Robert Klenk (80-and-over).

Women's age-group winners were Paige Nowak (14-and-under), Robyn Johnson (15-19), Burgdorf (20-24), Sarah Scarborough (25-29), Laura Hemmer (30-34), White (35-39), Collins (40-44), Debra Ritter (45-49), Moore-Schmitt (50-54), Joy Elder (55-59), Tanya Crews (60-64) and Jo Elckmeyer (65-69).