A TRIO of St Paul’s High School lads have smashed the state triathlon record on their way to a NSW All-Schools title on Friday.
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Seamus Dempsey, Liam Magennis and Sam Lewis creamed the competition at the Sydney International Regatta Centre, beating the record by 45 seconds.
While all three were strong individually, it was a strong cycle leg by Magennis which was central to the new record of 43 minutes, 36 seconds.
He rode the 15km leg in 22:16, averaging more than 40km/h in tough conditions.
Earlier, swimmer Dempsey got the team off to a cracking start, emerging out of the water in 23rd position after the 400m swim, and some 30 seconds behind the leaders.
Lewis then recorded the fastest run leg of the day to bring the team home in front of 4000 spectators and a large Port Macquarie contingent.
More than 125 teams contested the intermediate division, which involves 15 and 16-year-old athletes.
Lewis’s father Ian was thrilled with the team’s performance.
“The boys performed magnificently,” he said.
Magennis’ strong ride is part of a purple patch he’s having.
Magennis also recorded fastest time at the Camden Haven and South West Rocks triathlons.
In a further coup for St Paul’s, the team of Jack Pilgrim and Harry Pensini were helped out by Lewis, who put his hand up to complete the swim leg prior to his run for the winning team.
Pensini, Pilgrim and Lewis won a bronze medal in the Catholic schools division, coming in eighth place overall.
Pensini rode extremely well, while Pilgrim, suffering from a cold, ran strongly to ensure that Port Macquarie had two teams in the top eight.
“Which shows great depth in this age group,” Ian Lewis said.
Lewis was in the team that came second last year.
He will now join Lachlan Philpott in the NSW Combined High Schools team, after making the podium in the individual race on Thursday.