MAHKA WINS ITC TRIATHLON, KERN IS WOMEN'S WINNER
MOUNT OLIVE - Matthew Majka, 27, of Branchville was the first competitor across the finish line at the International Trade Center Triathlon on Saturday. Majka started in the first wave, which is reserved for the most advanced solo cyclists.
As the course was slick from the previous days rains, Majka made sure to position himself well from the start. “I got clear on the bike,” he said. “I was first to the hill.” From there Majka had clear sailing on the trails, leading through the canoe and the run leg to finish in 1:20:54. It was a personal best on the course that he has done twice, placing fourth in 2005 and ninth in 2003.
Joe Barrow, 40, of Wayne, who finished in 1:22:10 for second, thought he might be able to close the gap on the run.
“He was ahead on the bike and obviously on the canoe,” said Barrow. “I closed on him on the run but he was able to stay ahead.”
Melissa Kern, 26, of Hopatcong, finished in 1:27:12 in sixth place overall, and immediately sought out Majka for a hug, elated that the boyfriend, girlfriend duo had taken their respective divisions.
Kern sported a bloody knee along with the mud spatters that all the cyclists accumulated, but said she had not taken a spill.
“I don’t know where that came from,” she said. “It must have come from a branch on the trail.”
Kern said that despite the rain, the course was fast, and not very technical. Other riders might not agree, but Kern placed second in the 24 Hours of Allamuchy bike race last month, which has a much more difficult course.
Most triathlons consist of swim, bike and run segments, but the ITC on Saturday features a canoe segment on Budd Lake, instead of a swim. Kern said she had no practice for the canoe.
“I just got in and paddled.”
Stacey Barbossa, 39, of Jersey City, was the second woman to finish with a time of 1:33:05.
Although not in the top three this year, previous women’s winner, Angie Dello of Whippany placed fourth woman and can lay claim to the most number of top ten women in the past ten races. She has missed only one when she competed at the world championship biathlon in Australia in 2005.
Dello was in the second wave to start and said that, “I was following their line” referring to the mud trail left by the first wave of cyclists.
The Women’s two person team division was won by Pam Fales of Boonton and Ruth Tummey of Manahawkin, whose time of 1:28:57 put them in the top ten overall two-person team rankings.
Solo riders went out in the first waves while the team riders started later. Tummey was in the fifth wave so the course was quite chopped and muddy.
“When you put that into the mix you really separate the experience cyclists from the others,” said Tummey, who has plenty of experience in mountain and trail bike racing.
Competing for the first time at the event, Fales, who has been nursing a foot injury all year said that she was quite nervous waiting for Tummey to appear at Budd Lake for the canoe leg. She and Tummey had practiced twice for the canoe, but Fales said she was anxious to put distance on any women’s team competitors in the canoe phase since she was not going to be fast on the run.
“I needed to get ahead because I’m not running so well,” said Fales.
Tummey’s husband Chris, and his brother Pete Tummey of Boonton, placed fourth in the men’s team division.
First place in the men’s team division was taken by Thomas O’Connor and Daniel Larino of Neshanic Station in 1:18:12. First place coed team was claimed by Steve Persak and Marissa Hiruma of Basking Ridge in 1:24:23.
Hackettstown Regional Medical Center is the primary sponsor of the event with proceeds donated to the Special Olympics. The event had been closed to new entries since August when the limit had been reached.
Originally p ublished in the Daily Record of Morris County, New Jersey, Sunday, September 17, 2006
Copyright, Madeline Bost, 2006
