Junior Tri VI Hosts Jolly Junior Splash ‘n Dash for Ages 5-15

Spirits were high for the Jolly Junior Splash ‘n Dash, which was held on Sunday on the grounds of Bungalows On the Bay (Chenay Bay). The Junior Tri VI Committee, a subgroup of the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation, held the swim/run event for junior athletes, ages 5 to 15, to kick off the busy holiday season.

With over 30 participants in the event, parents and spectators joined the racers on Chenay Bay Beach to begin the swim portion of the race. The 5-6 category swam 25 meters with the guidance of “talking buoys,” volunteers standing in the water along the point-to-point course, and they then ran 1/4 mile on an out-and-back course. First-timer Cal Jackson crossed the line in first place in a time of 4:52. Hanako Sanders, also new to the sport, was the first-place female finisher.

Millie Leo had the quickest 50-meter swim in the 7-8 group, and she held her lead on the .5-mile run to finish first overall in a time of 4:17. In his first-ever race, Hiro Sanders was the first male to finish.

The 9-11 category was the most diverse in age and ability. Good Hope Country Day student Sage Weiss led the race from the 100-meter swim through the .5-mile run. His overall time was 8:06. Good friends Caitlin Kuczynski and Hannah Stewart held hands as they crossed the line with the same finish time of 10:59. The lone competitor in the 12-15 category was home-schooled student Sariah Elison. She completed the 200-meter swim and 1-mile run in 23:02.