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WESTPORT, Conn. Suzie Snyder moved to Virginia from Connecticut last year. When she returned to Westport on Sunday, it was just like old times.
Snyder won the women's division while Enfield's Jim Ball captured the men's race at the first Sherwood Island Sprint Triathlon. Targetraining sponsored the race, which consisted of a half-mile swim, a 13-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run. Nearly 200 athletes too part in the race.
Snyder, 29, coaches area triathletes via remote from Targetraining from her home in Virginia. She moved because of a boyfriend's job change. But Sunday, it seemed as if she had never left as she cruised through the course in 1:06.13.
"I like the course,'' said Snyder, who competes as a professional. "It's a power course. There are a few little rollers out there. It's a pretty flat bike course."
She enjoyed returning to the area to compete with some of the athletes she coaches. "It's good when you're familiar with the course,'' Snyder said. "It's always nice to come back and see a lot of people that I know." Snyder won the Greenwich Cup triathlon last summer and earlier this year won the Tagaman Triathlon against an international field.
Ball, who also competes as a professional, came out of the water in first place. He built nearly a four-minute lead on the bike and cruised home in 59:53. Gus Ellison of Rowayton made a strong move on the running leg to take second.
"I was hoping to be up front getting out of the water,'' Ball said. "I thought that was important to get off to a good start."
He opened up a big lead on the bike and was never challenged on the run. Ball is no stranger to the winner's circle: He won events last year in New York and Massachusetts. He also finished third in another New York triathlon. "I thought it was a good course,'' Ball said. "It was pretty fast."
Among triathletes who were not pros, Ellison finished first, followed by Jonathan Baxendale and Shane Meehan. Among women, Skyler Lerner led women who were not professionals, followed by Joan Lynch and Shireen Donaldson. There were 157 finishers.
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