The Gatorade Triathlon Series men’s points race is going down to the wire.
With two events left in the sprint series, Chip Martoccia, 33, of Palm Beach Gardens, has a slim nine-point lead after Sunday’s third-place finish in the Olympic distance event on Jekyll Island, Ga.
James Quinn, 25, of Pleasantville, N.Y., won the event in 1 hour, 50 minutes, 31 seconds. The course was a 1-mile swim, 25-mile bike and 5-mile run.
Dave Picciano, 30, of Lake Mary, Martoccia’s biggest threat in the series, was second in 1:50:42. Picciano has finished ahead of Martoccia in the last two events.
Martoccia was third in 1:51:05. If Martoccia finishes second and Picciano wins both races at the Sept. 29 St. Augustine and Oct. 20 Marathon events, Martoccia would win his first series title by one point.
“One mistake could cost him the series,” said Steve Tebon of Exclusive Sports Marketing, Boca Raton-based producers of the event.
Susan Whiting, 27, of Jacksonville, won the women’s title in 2:06:57. Whiting moved seven months ago from San Diego, a mecca for triathletes. Women’s series leader Linda Neary did not compete. She needs to finish in the top three in one of the remaining races to clinch her third series title.
The sprint triathlon, held Saturday, and Olympic triathlon, attracted a field of 1,000 athletes mostly from the southeast United States. Among local age group winners were David Swatland, 35, of Fort Lauderdale and Marilyn Benkelman, 43, of North Palm Beach.
(1-mile swim, 25-mile bike, 5-mile run) MEN OVERALL: 1. James Quinn 1:50:31; 2. David Picciano 1:50:42; 3. Chip Martoccia 1:51:05; 4. Dan Domingo 1:51:36; 5. Douglas Hamilton 1:53:23.
MEN AGE GROUP: 14-under: 1. Joshua Kahn, 2:32:11; 15-19: 1. Jonathan Hiscock 2:00:51; 2. Brion Tingler 2:01:39;3. Carson Utech 2:04:35; 20-24: 1. Dan Querciagrossa 1:55:42; 2. Gabriel Arteago 2:01:54; 3. Mark Linenberg 2:02:53; 25-29: 1. Mark Carey 1:59:07; 2. Nigel Wynter 2:01:50; 3. Kenneth Thompson 2:02:22; 30-34: 1. Chris Reilly 2:00:14; 2. Timothy Carroll 2:01:03; 3. Tim Maxwell 2:02:45; 35-39: 1. David Swatland 1:59:25; 2. Craig Nixon 2:01:29; 3. Scott Hilburn 2:03:04; 40-44: 1. Steve Caskie 1:57:38; 2. Andy Blalock 2:12:59; 3. Jeff Herndon 2:16:01; 45-49: 1. Frank George 2:10:14; 2. Michael Corr 2:14:11; 3. Kenneth Kukla 2:16:36; 50-54: 1. Dwight Moss 2:18:44; 2. Richard Irby 2:32:21; 3. Wayne Granger 3:01:37; 55-59: 1. Tom Daly 2:14:45; 2. Neil Wilson 2:23:26; 3. Ben Moye 2:23:03; 60-64: 1. Bob Douglass 2:23; 2. Pablo 3:03:08; 3. Doug Zook 3:09:32; 65-69: 1. Marvin Norin 2:52:31; Clydesdales: 185-199, 39-under: 1. Mike Hood 2:07:22; 2. Geoff Beakley 2:09:32; 3. Jim Passaro 2:10:20; 40-over: 1. John Whitaker 2:12:34; 2. Jon Dangler 2:21:02; 3. Michael Wiedower 2:30:08; 200-224, 39-under: 1. Rod Jones 2:11:08; 2. Costas Liatsos 2:11:16; 3. Trey Gross 2:24:20; 40-over: 1. Terry Hollis 2:07:06; 2. Yogi O’Connell 2:30:14; 3. Steven Adams 2:33:35; Super Clydesdales: 1. Shelby Glazer 2:41:25; 2. Steven Johnson 2:53:28; Relays: Coed division: 5. Team Soden, Hollywood 2:34:22.
WOMEN OVERALL: 1. Susan Whiting 2:06:57; 2. Alison Hayden 2:10:32; 3. Diane Ridings 2:11:38; 4. Megan McGrath 2:14:30; 5. Lisa Dery 2:15:25.
WOMEN AGE GROUP: 14-under: 1. Heidi Hahn 2:43:55; 2. Elspeth Crawford 3:16:52; 20-24: 1. Meredith Novack 2:19:55; 2. Rebekah Porter 2:22:42; 3. Amanda Matule 2:50:15; 25-29: 1. Caroline Rivers 2:32:19; 2. Cindi Sedberry 2:43:01; 3. Kim Chapman 2:47:58; 30-34: 1. Karen Coker 2:12:40; 2. Rachael Wood 2:21:40; 3. Christina Lihan 2:24:54; 35-39: 1. Robin Tanner 2:20:27; 2. Ann Johansen 2:27:33; 3. Lesley Platek 2:37:34; 40-44: 1. Marilyn Benkelman 2:17:31; 2. Nina Gerli 2:17:43; 3. Ruth Ference 2:22:27; 50-54: 1. Anne Wright 2:21:01; 2. Patricia Ufheil 2:40:43; 55-59: 1. Elizabeth Scarry 3:02:10; 2. Marilyn Zook 3:30:00; Clydesdales: 1. Wendy Kapp 2:24:26; 2. Jennifer Cole 2:29:53;3. Lisa Ann Engel 2:42:14.
