Tyler Young’s victory in Sunday’s Mattapoisett Lions Club Triathlon was so convincing that it seemed the 2024 Old Rochester Regional High School graduate could have gone out and done a second triathlon in the afternoon.
Keyed by his 6:02 mile pace in the 3.1-mile run that completed the competition, Young’s overall winning time of 54:07 was one minute and four seconds faster than 55-year-old runner-up Marvin Wang (55:11). Edward Rheaume, 62, took third place in 56:34.
In the recovery area only seconds after running first under the inflatable arch on Water Street, the 18-year-old from Marion was eager to seize upon a reporter’s question about the retirement of longtime ORR cross-country and track coaches Bill and Cindy Tilden.
“Those were my favorite coaches, those are my favorite coaches, they will forever be basically the best people who have ever come to that program – ever,” said Young. “They are the people who caused me to love the sport as much as I do, so I’m happy they were able to be there for all my four years of high school. It’s impressive how long they’ve been there.
“I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today if it wasn’t for them.”
Recalling how Mr. and Mrs. Tilden started the Southcoast Running Club, Young was introduced to Cindy Tilden’s conditioning camp in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That’s what really got me to know her, and … they’re just very personal coaches,” he said. “They understand their athletes, which is great. And that’s how they’re able to push you. And they’re not easy going, they obviously know they need to challenge their athletes. That’s what sets (ORR) apart, they know the athletes need to get the work done. … They ask a lot, but they’re always there for us.”
Young recalled working through an injury during his high school career and how understanding the Tildens were with his situation. “They’re the reason I haven’t gotten injured other than that,” he said.
Having run the 800, mile and 1,000 indoor and also cross-country in high school, Young has committed to run track beginning later this month at UMass Lowell.
The Lions Club Triathlon followed the conventional format in the order of swim, bike and run. That typically puts Young in a comeback position, but his 4:40 time in the water was tied for sixth overall in that phase. His 29:24 bike was 2:50 behind Wang’s second-place bike of 26:34, and that left Young outside the lead. But within the first mile of the run, Young knew he could catch the leaders. His event-best 18:45 run put him comfortably over the top.
“Biking and running is where I have to put all my energy into the race. … When I come out of the water, I don’t really try to pay attention to the place I’m in or the time I did because I know I’m going to make it up,” said Young, who is also a mountain biker. “I wasn’t expecting to win, but I felt pretty good on the run, that’s what I’m really strong in. … There was a good amount of competition for me to catch in the biking stage.”
Strengths and weaknesses were the opposite for women’s winner Heather Peckham of Middletown, Rhode Island, whose 1:02:57 time was boosted by her 5:10 swim and 32:03 bike. Her 24:14 run was nonetheless third among women.
“I was an athlete my whole life, and I took a break when I had my son,” said the 42-year-old Peckham, who got back to competition three years ago.
“Run is the hardest part for me,” she said, admitting to a temptation to push the gameplan because her first appearance in Mattapoisett felt so inviting. “Yes, it was a beautiful course. … I opened up and rode super-fast. It was beautiful, and there were so many volunteers everywhere. … Instead of following signs, they were there. It was nice.”
Peckham was convinced to compete in Mattapoisett by one of her teammates on the New Bedford-based Triathlon with Amy team, two members of which competed last weekend in the Ironman Maine event.
“Everybody I run into that’s done this before, they absolutely love it,” said Peckham, who leaned on the Lions Club volunteers just like the many other competitors who could be seen pointing and looking at staffers for confirmation on the correct course direction as they entered next phases of competition. Recalling a smooth practice run, Peckham still had her real-deal moments.
“So when you go ahead and ride (the course) beforehand and you know where you’re going,” said Peckham. “(In competition), you get in the water, come out and say, ‘where am I going?’ Same thing: I came in from the bike, I went to come in the wrong way, and (the volunteers said), ‘no, you’ve got to go this way.’ … Thank God for those volunteers.”
The previous week in New Bedford, the Whaling City Triathlon was greeted by much heavier summer weather. Peckham finished second in her 40-44 age group.
Former Mattapoisett native Mary Cass, 63, competed for the third time in four days, taking third overall (1:04:33) a minute behind 60-year-old runner-up Marielle Yost (1:03:33).
Mattapoisett Lions Club Triathlon
By Mick Colageo
Top-3 Category Finishers (Swim, Bike, Run, Overall)
Female 1-19: 1. Alexis Lord, 18, Mattapoisett, 5:51, 42:39, 35:21 = 1:27:47.
Female 20-24: 1. Sarah Rocha, 23, East Sandwich, 5:15, 34:58, 28:59 = 1:13:35; 2. Eliza Nilson, 20, Charlestown, 4:23, 38:07, 31:11 = 1:16:20; 3. Natalia Moulding, 23, Wareham, 5:19, 36:17, 32:27 = 1:17:27.
Female 25-29: 1. Sydney Leveckis, 28, Walpole, 4:51, 33:58, 26:27 = 1:07:42; 2. Maggie Piker, 29, Watertown, 4:52, 35:31, 26:27 = 1:10:09.
Female 30-34: 1. Nicole Vanloon, 33, Coventry, Rhode Island, 5:55, 33:09, 29:18 = 1:11:57; 2. Claire Nalven, 32, Lexington, 5:12, 37:01, 29:36 = 1:14:04; 3. Kaylee Grodzki, 33 Mattapoisett, 5:34, 41:20, 37:19 = 1:28:01.
Female 35-39: 1. Crystal Leo, 39, West Warwick, Rhode Island, 4:40, 35:19, 29:32 = 1:12:22; 2. Hilary Gibbons, 35, Plymouth, 5:39, 37:56, 26:30 = 1:13:19; 3. Ashley Dube, 39, Norwell, 5:42, 38:26, 28:39 = 1:16:43.
Female 40-44: 1. Khara Sylvester, 41, Mattapoisett, 5:29, 33:54, 29:33 = 1:12:53; 2. Lauren Peterson, 41, Dighton, 6:01, 36:08, 30:56 = 1:16:14; 3. Olga Vershinina, 40, Stoneham, 6:48, 41:10, 24:43 = 1:16:30.
Female 45-49: 1. Christina Mork, 45, 4:56, 38:22, 24:53 = 1:12:18; 2. Allison O’Neill, 41, Chestnut Hill, 6:03, 35:40, 29:26 = 1:16:37; 3. Amy Hartley-Matteson, 47, Rochester, 6:15, 40:29, 28:50 = 1:18:40.
Female 50-54: 1. Lee Dupre, 53, Mattapoisett, 5:49, 33:57, 23:36 = 1:07:34; 2. Nicole Harrington, 50, Mattapoisett, 6:01, 34:13, 25:04 = 1: 07:41; 3. Lisa Horan, 51, Mattapoisett, 7:20, 32:22, 28:58 = 1:11:51.
Female 55-59: 1. Charlotte Johnson, 57, Chatham, 5:48, 32:52, 26:25 = 1:08:02; 2. Heather Cronin, 58, Plymouth, 5:47, 31:06, 30:26 = 1:11:31; 3. Greta Plante, 55, Mattapoisett, 5:41, 40:43, 34:34 = 1:23:55.
Female 60-64: 1. Kate McCoy, 63, Weston, 4:56, 34:45, 29:01 = 1:11:56; 2. Terri Ivanoski, 63, Canton, 6:40, 43:45, 25:58 = 1:17:51; 3. Deborah Neary, 64, Mansfield, 7:17, 38:07, 30:12 = 1:18:47.
Female 65-69: 1. Anne McCrae, 65, Edgartown, 5:24, 32:12, 28:20 = 1:07:33.
Female 70-plus: 1. Terry Myers Coney, 71, Stow, 10:11, 54:57, 57:11 = 2:07:00.
Male 1-19: 1. Eamonn Kelly, 17, Foxboro, 5:00, 33:05, 19:09 = 1:01:36; 2. Owen McAuliffe, 17, Foxboro, 5:40, 33:12, 24:21 = 1:06:49.
Male 20-24: 1. Luc Cuypers, 21, Concord, 5:18, 29:33, 23:58 = 1:01:31; 2. William Stark, 22, Mattapoisett, 4:31, 31:23, 23:35 = 1:02:30; 3. Colin Cuypers, 20, Concord, 5:02, 32:49, 21:53 = 1:03:13.
Male 25-29: 1. Kevin Albano, 29, Fairhaven, 5:00, 29:21, 20:31 = 58:32; 2. Clark Luckhardt, 29, Carlsbad, California, 5:15, 30:21, 21:59 = 59:59; 3. Quinn Morten, 26, Darien, Illinois, 5:25, 34:46, 25:25 = 1:08:36.
Male 30-34: 1. Matthew Koral, 33, Boston, 5:11, 30:57, 19:42 = 59:06; 2. Henry Borda, 34, Mattapoisett, 5:01, 30:36, 24:17 = 1:02:47; 3. Andrew Dearden, 30, New Bedford, 5:26, 29:10, 25:25 = 1:02:59.
Male 35-39: 1. Jeramy Packard, 39, Westport, 5:20, 33:17, 22:11 = 1:06:59; 2. Derek Gibbons, 38, Plymouth, 4:35, 38:58, 28:56 = 1:13:54; 3. Jason Stavros, 35, Raynham, 5:38, 33:27, 34:14 = 1:18:13.
Male 40-44: 1. Jonathan Stanton, 44, 5:04, 29:35, 20:45 = 58:36; 2. Dario Marrocchelli, 42, Arlington, 5:31, 33:19, 22:16 = 1:04:45; 3. Tyler Dube, 44, Norwell, 5:48, 31:30, 29:36 = 1:09:16.
Male 45-49: 1. Eric Chiang, 47, Westford, 5:53, 29:39, 23:44 = 1:02:25; 2. Nathan Meleo, 47, Rochester, 6:50, 36:46, 26:10 = 1:13:14; 3. Jason Arruda, 46, Fairhaven, 6:09, 35:45, 29:33 = 1:15:21.
Male 50-54: 1. Zsolt Kalmar, 54, Framingham, 5:10, 26:55, 25:06 = 1:00:26; 2. Michael Young, 52, Marion, 5:09, 29:31, 23:00 = 1:00:48; 3. Mark Lamson, 53, Foxboro, 6:02, 27:48, 23:38 = 1:02:10.
Male 55-59: 1. Brian Kelly, 56, Foxboro, 5:12, 28:44, 23:58 = 1:03:11; 2. Michael Kineavy, 57, Quincy, 4:45, 31:02, 24:52 = 1:03:36; 3. Jack Hughes, 56, Walpole, 5:31, 30:15, 25:34 = 1:04:39.
Male 60-64: 1. John Schluter, 64, Westport, Connecticut, 5:01, 29:08, 26:04 = 1:03:51; 2. Gerald Lanagan, 60, Vero Beach, Florida, 4:58, 30:55, 27:33 = 1:05:59; 3. Steve Kanovsky, 62, New Hope, Pennsylvania, 5:19, 30:50, 30:59 = 1:10:02.
Male 65-69: 1. David Blume, 65, Waban, 4:33, 29:12, 22:51 = 59:38; 2. Jeff Kotecki, 65, Mystic, Connecticut, 5:17, 26:13, 26:54 = 1:00:55; 3. Paul Curley, 65, Taunton, 5:41, 27:21, 26:44 = 1:03:03.
Male 70-plus: 1. Bob Lamothe, 71, Warwick, Rhode Island, 5:24, 28:24, 26:34 = 1:03:15; 2. Paul Curuccio, 70, Winthrop, 5:17, 30:38, 24:54 = 1:04:00.
Relay Finishers (Swim, Bike, Run, Overall)
1. Team Catracho 5:38, 26:41, 23:12 = 56:27; 2. Team Cooper 4:10, 30:19, 24:57 = 1:01:38; 3. The Studio 6:09, 32:04, 27:32 = 1:08:39; 4. Two Chicks And A Rooster 6:34, 36:06, 29:44 = 1:13:59; 5. 3’s A Charm 9:02, 33:43, 31:23 = 1:15:45; 6. Browning 6:26, 36:26, 32:04 = 1:16:41; 7. Wonder Woman 5:36, 43:29, 32:04 = 1:23:10.
Data courtesy New England Timing