By Jon Johnson
PIMA – The Sprint Triathlon favored by serious athletes, weekend warriors, and fit families alike, arose from obscurity to once again grace the streets of Pima.
The 14th annual Tri-Community Tri was held in Pima on Saturday morning. The event was the last scheduled use for the Pima Pool before its resurfacing.
The race is a family-oriented fun event geared toward physical fitness. This year’s event included the youngest participant at just 2 years of age and the oldest 75.
Race directors Brian and Angela Paull took over the event from race originator Chérla Ramsey in 2016 after Ramsey moved to the Phoenix area. The volunteer-run, family-friendly event is a non-profit 501c3, and proceeds are donated toward a fitness-related purpose in the community. The event wasn’t held last year but has been brought back this year due to community demand, and several competitors came from outside of the area, with some even from out of state. According to CEP Timing, 90 competitors raced in either the Sprint, Super Sprint, or Kids Triathlon.
Each year EAC athletics and students volunteer at the event. This year saw EAC’s men’s and women’s basketball teams assisting at the pool, along with other college students from the nursing program and other athletic teams helping throughout. Graham County Search and Rescue members and the Graham County Chamber of Commerce were on site to help set up and take down, and Pima Police officers kept the streets safe for the bicyclists and runners.
As racers neared the end, they were encouraged to finish strong by Pima Town Manager Vernon Batty, who called them out by name as they approached. Batty also gave shout-outs to all the sponsors frequently, who along with all the volunteers and organizers helped make the event a reality.
The Tri-Community Tri is a multi-distance sprint triathlon in a rural setting in Pima, Arizona. The Sprint Triathlon event started with a 425-yard swim in the Pima Pool located at 321 S. 100 East.
After the swim, racers climbed aboard their bicycles for a 15-mile ride through rolling scenic hills and then finished with a 5K (3.2-mile) run through neighborhoods in Pima. The race ended near the same area as it began.
Jake Henrichsen took first place in the Sprint Division for the men overall in a time of 1:09:48. Henrichsen blew past the competition on the 15-mile bike portion to win overall by nearly 4 minutes.
Second place for the men was Derek Millett in 1:13:38, and third overall went to Kevin Minor in a time of 1:21:52.
The record for the course is held by Bobby Gonzales, of El Paso, who posted a time of 1:00:19 in 2019.
For the women, perennial all-star Melinda Nelson brought home the gold in a time of 1:22:50, nearly 10 minutes ahead of the next female finisher. I have Melinda down as a 6-time champion, and the only time I can recall her not winning if she competed was when Olympian swimmer Lacey Nymeyer-John entered the triathlon after marrying former EAC basketball player Chandler John. Lacey won a Silver Medal in the 400m Free Relay at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
After Nelson in the 2024 Tri-Community Tri came Dee Scott in a time of 1:32:45, and Clarissa Nelson at 1:34:43.
The Super Sprint is a shorter race including a 125-yard swim, 7-mile bike ride, and 1.5-mile run. For racers under 15 years of age, the Kids Triathlon includes a 75-yard swim, a 1.2-mile bike ride, and a half-mile run. The youngest competitor this year was just 2 years old.
In the Super Sprint Division, Samuel Crandell took home first place for the males in 40:44, followed by Joh Mazurik at 42:18, and Jackson Paull in 51:46 despite having taken a nasty fall at the beginning of the bike and having to MacGyver it back into working order to ride the course.
The Super Sprint was an old hat for Sara Foote, however, who is blind. She started competing in the race in 2017 and hasn’t let her vision impairment or other physical issues slow her down. Foote competes in the event with her friend, JoAnn Ungerman, who rides in front of a tandem bicycle on the bike portion and helps guide Foote through the course.
For the females, Shea Magill took first at 50:16, followed by Kaylen Minor at 50:38, and Kelly Odegaard at 54:25.
Trophies were awarded for first, second, and third place for both male and female overall champions, and medals were awarded to the top three finishers in each five-year age bracket. The same was awarded to the Super Sprint and Kids Triathlon winners.
After the race, participants enjoyed snacks of bananas, oranges, water, and free massages.
“The Tri-Community Tri started as a way to promote health and fitness in our community,” states the event description on the signup page. “Our race is put together completely by volunteers and all proceeds are put back into the race for coming years with the remaining funds donated to the community. The race is a recognized non-profit and all donations are tax deductible. This effort allows for greater opportunity in helping our community.”
Click here to view the Gila Herald’s Tri-Community Tri 2024 Photo Album.
Click here to view all race results.
