Sunday morning brought sunshine, smiles, and spirited competition to Cramers Park on St. Croix’s east end, as the Junior Tri VI season wrapped up with its annual Grand Finale Junior Triathlon. The event, designed for youth athletes ages 5 to 15, marked the conclusion of the winter/spring season with a vibrant turnout, enthusiastic volunteers, and near-perfect weather conditions.
With four age-group divisions and progressively increasing race distances, participants took on a point-to-point swim, followed by an out-and-back bike ride, and finished strong with a run loop inside the park.
In the 5–6 age division, Hunter Whitworth led the pack with a swift 25-meter swim and maintained his lead through the finish. Bexley Ivey, the only female in the division, kept pace and crossed the line just behind Hunter. Joseph Nason powered ahead during the half-mile bike ride to secure second place for the boys, followed by first-time competitor Tahir Simmonds in third.
The 7–8 category delivered an exciting contest. Hadley Whitworth set an early tone in the 50-meter swim, but Milo Bird caught up during the half-mile bike ride. The two returned to the transition zone neck-and-neck, but Bird surged ahead on the run to win with a time of 10:15. Hadley secured the top spot for the girls, finishing in 10:43. Benji Heaney and Luca Donahue took second and third in the boys’ race, while Magnolia Miller claimed second for the girls.
The 9–11 age group, made up entirely of boys, saw fierce competition. Wyatt Jarrin of the Dolphin Swim Team led the 100-meter swim, but Sage Weiss made his move on the 1-mile bike segment, overtaking Jarrin and Dane Whitworth. Weiss held the lead during the half-mile run, finishing first in 12:38. Whitworth and Jarrin rounded out the podium in second and third.
The 12–15 division featured a small but strong field. Thirteen-year-old Ava Whitworth dominated from start to finish, leading the 200-meter swim, 3-mile bike, and 1-mile run. Her younger sister, Emma Whitworth, celebrated her birthday by competing in this age group for the first time, finishing second. Newcomer Joseph DeNunzio claimed third.
The Junior Tri VI Committee, a branch of the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation, now heads into a seasonal break, with the next youth event scheduled for October.
For those interested in participating or volunteering, more information is available by calling 340-513-2707 or emailing info@vitf.org.
