Vagt wins NWAC triathlon

Brett Vagt, spurred by the fastest bike-ride of day, won the annual North Whidbey Aquatic Club triathlon Friday, Aug. 26, at John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool.

The event featured a 1,600-meter swim, a four-mile bike ride and a two-mile run. The ride and run were over a cross-country course. Evan Wilson set the course record of 49:07 last year.

Lauren Rosen, who finished fourth overall, was the top female participant and set a new course record (54:42) for girls and broke her own swimming-leg record (19:36).

Vagt was sixth after the opening swim (20:35) but used the best bike time (17:04) and second-fastest run (13:37) to secure the win in 51:16.

Cole Weinstein finished second on the strength of the best swimming leg (18:49). His other splits were 18:59 and 15:07, good for 52:55.

Josh Jepsen (19:30/17:40/ 16:32, 53:42) finished third with the second fastest swim and bike ride.

Emily Huffer, fifth overall, was second among the girls (56:45) and set a female course bike record (18:42).

Lauren Vagt, ninth overall, was third among the girls (58:27) and established a new female course run record (14:05).

Eleven-year-old Ethan Tack, the second youngest competitor, was fourth (21:43/19:37/13:08, 65:53) among the boys and sixth overall after cutting 36 seconds off the run record (13:08) and 10:25 off his personal-best time. This came after “pedaling a bulldozer of a bike,” according to NWAC coach Neil Romney.

These efforts earned Tack the “Triathlete of the Day” award from Romney.

Brother Harrison Tack posted the day’s biggest improvement, trimming 14:39 off his previous best while finishing seventh (21:40/18:44/14:12, 68:49).

Rachel Weinstein received Comeback Performance of the Day from Romney. Unable to participate for the last three years because of running injuries, Weinstein topped her PR by almost seven minutes, capped by a blistering 15.01 run split. She finished sixth among the girls and 14th overall (57:40).

In all, 95 percent of the competitors earned personal records and three boys and 14 girls clocked better times than the winning mark of the first race in 2008.

Other results: 8, Jacob Jepsen, 19:41/18:33/16:32, 54:46; 10, Bon Jarik Bainco, 21:01/18:40/16:08, 56:49; 11, Kelly Huffer, 21:37/20:08/15:15, 57; 12, Hannah Schroeder, 22:24/20:19/14:36, 57:19; 13, Michael McGinnis, 21:08/21:17/15:14, 57:39; 15, Ciara Hu, 20:37/20:48/16:15, 57:40; 16, Molly Vagt, 21:41/21:28/15:15, 58:25; 17, Emily Schroeder, 23:09/19:45/16:04, 58:58; 18, Ella Schroeder, 23:47/21:44/14:10, 59:41; 19, Marissa Morris, 21:39/21:28/18:02, 61:09; 20, Toren Wood, 24:28/18/18:56, 61:24; 21, Angela Johnson, 24:54/20:31/16:15, 61:40; 22, Olivia Tungate, 22:50/22:04/16:53, 61:47; 23, Michael Johnson, 24:28/19:37/17:43, 61:48; 24, Autumn Robinson, 24:02/21:01/17:51, 62:54; 25, Casey Mathes, 27:20/20:32/15:53, 63:45; 26, Michelle Robinson, 24:47/21:30/19:50, 64:07; 27, Mariel Empinado, 26:18/22:22/15:57, 64:37; 28, Nicole Vagt, 24:42/23:09/19:30, 67:21; 29, Kenneth Morrow, 27:15/23:20/17:14, 67:49; 30, Nathan Mathes, 27:10/22:05/18:35, 67:50; 31, Joey Jepsen, 27:24/23:31/18:34, 69:29.

Contact Whidbey News Times Sports editor Jim Waller at jwaller@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360-675-6611 ext. 5060.

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