Three local teens take first in trialthon

And they’re off! On Sunday, Sept. 27, three students from Pope John High School participated in the Jarden Westchester Triathlon in Rye, N.Y. The event was sponsored by the Jarden Corporation, who has sponsored this event for 25 years. Following the Cranberry Lake Triathlon that Thomas Healy and Robert Coughlin had participated in as individuals, they were hooked on the idea of participating in other triathlons. They were referred to the Website www.active.com, which got them very interested in the Jarden Westchester Triathlon. The students competed as a relay team with other contestants ranging in ages from 16 to 40. Coughlin, a member of the Pope John swim team, swam a mile course in the Long Island Sound. Matt Spinks, who has since been invited to Colorado Springs to train for the United States team, cycled a 40K through the streets of Rye and into Greenwich, Conn. Healy, although not a runner but a wrestler who runs to stay in shape, ran the Rye Playland’s boardwalk and into the streets of Rye. The team, named the Pope John Lions, because their school was their commonality, triumphed at the end of the day with a first place win out of over 1,000 participants, some being professionals, others individuals, and others as relays. The weather was not cooperative — it poured all day — but a little bad weather didn’t get in the way of the three young men. With a total of 58 relay teams, 39 in the all-male 16- to 40-year-old bracket, the three young men came out on top. Their ending time was 2:19:01. The teens have qualified for the USA, Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, a legendary race in California. “This was one of the best experiences ever and I know that I can speak for everyone when I say that we all cannot wait until next year. Besides, we have to return, we are now defending champions,” said Coughlin.