Sunday, August 19, 2007 11:03 PM CDT
Triathlon beginner reigns at Lytle event
By BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
MATTOON - Beginning triathletes might draw some encouragement from Saturday’s Lytle Pool Triathlon female champion Cindy McGrady.
“My first attempt was in May and I bombed out,” the Charleston runner-turned-triathlete said. “I panicked during the swim and vomited.”
Then again, one could get down right humbled by Lee O’Connor, who in his first triathlon was the champion Saturday morning at Lytle Park.
Don’t get the wrong idea.
O’Connor, a Greenville College cross country/track runner with one track season of eligibility remaining, did not just buy a bike and swim trunks Saturday morning.
“I’ve been training my whole life,” the 22-year-old from Indianapolis said. “I’d been injured. I always swam and biked when I trained. I just didn’t race.”
Talked into trying this race by some Greenville teammates including one who helped with the organization, O’Connor proved more than ready.
Mixing the third fastest time in the 300-meter Lytle Pool swim at 4 minutes, 24.45 seconds, the second fastest 12-mile bike time of 30:58.35 and the fourth best three-mile run with sufficient transition times between those three legs, O’Connor finished in 54:56.95.
Runner-up in 56:00.40 was 43-year-old Martin Gruebele, who won the master’s division and had the fastest bike time of anyone at 29:23.65.
O’Connor figured he was in good shape when getting through the swim.
“It was a big surprise when my wife told me my time,” he said. “It was about a minute faster than I expected.”
Still, with the staggered start in the pool, racers after crossing the finish line had to wait for the computer chip times to be recorded to learn the actual winner.
Regardless, this inaugural in town event at Mattoon organized after numerous Lake Mattoon events conducted by Tony Garrett was considered a success.
“I liked it a lot for my first time,” O’Connor said. “The organizers did a good job. It was a good Christian atmosphere.”
Rantoul’s Chris Haydel, a former distance runner for Western Illinois and five-time winner of a Champaign triathlon, also had good reviews in his third-place finish even though this was a bit tamer of an event that he has done in the past.
“I like doing more adventure races,” Hayden said, “I usually swim in a lake when I’m practicing. I felt really good today. I was a little slow through the bike. Weather is a big part of these and the weather today was great other than the wind was a little strong on the bike.”
The 30-year-old Haydel had the second fastest three-mile run of 15:59.90 behind 22-year-old Andy Thomack, who ran a 15:59.90 three miles on his way to fourth place overall.
The leading swimmer was Bradley Bowman in 4:01.25 on his way to 33rd in the triathlon.
McGrady was 12th overall and the first female finisher in 1 hour, 42.5 seconds.
A frequent women’s champion in local running road races over the years, McGrady began cross training with swimming and biking because of a knee injury and now has taken her success into triathlongs.
After that early bust when she could not finish her swim, McGrady has won a Lake Mattoon event and finished second at Wolf Creek.
“This was fun,” the 35-year-old McGrady said. “I’m not real crazy about the pool swim but for beginners this was nice. It’s not as intimidating as the lake swim.
“What I really like more about the triathlons is just the camaraderie. Everybody is helpful. In road races I just don’t feel that friendly of an atmosphere as with triathlons.”
Seventy-six finished this new event at the west side of Mattoon including some first-time starters.
Mattoon High School girls’ track coach Troy Haacke did not find instant success but was glad to race and finish.
“Each phase of it has its own unique part of it,” Haacke said. “For me the swimming I thought was the easiest part. The bike I thought would be but the wind got to me. The run, it took me about a mile to get my legs back. It was fun. I thought it was a nice experience.”
Another Mattoon High School coach, Ryan Ghere who is the head boys’ and girls’ soccer coach and an assistant in basketball, finished seventh overall.
Top 10 finishers
1. Lee O’Connor, age 22, 54:56.95; 2. Martin Grunebele, 43, 56:00.40; 3. Chris Haydel, 30, 56:22.55; 4. Andy Thomack, 22, 58:36.25; 5. Joseph Werner, 34, 59:13.00; 6. Ryan Ghere, 33, 59:14.70; 7. Jared Stonger, 34, 59:35.20; 8. Tony Garrett, 45, 59:50.6; 9. David McGrady, 51, 1:00.15; 10. Normal Walla, 54, 1:00.15
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