Nelson's Jaclyn Dexter captures women's title at Peach Classic Triathlon
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Jaclyn Dexter (Yanke) of Nelson is no stranger to triathlons having competed at the Nelson Cyswog’n’Fun event for years in the Heritage City.
However, now that the local triathlon event has gone the way of the dinosaur, Dexter is forced to take her skills on the road.
Sunday in Penticton — the day after Dexter competed in the Kelowna Across the Lake 2.1-kilometer Swim — the Trafalgar teacher showed it doesn’t matter where the event, Dexter is ready to compete.
Dexter, 37, took home the top spot at the Peach Classic Triathlon, capturing the women’s Olympic-distance event in a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 30 seconds.
Dexter edged Kelowna’s Carmelle Guidi-Swan by a couple of minutes (2:26:07) with Erica Moser of Vernon third at 2:34.
More than 130 athletes dipped their toes into Okanagan Lake to start the Olympic distance race of 1.5- kilometer swim, 40 km bike to Naramata and the 10-km run along the KVR Trail.
Shawn Wilyman, finishing in a time of 1:55:12 won the Peach Classic men’s title.
The sprint distance of 750-metre swim, 20-km bike ride and 5-km run attracted 175 participants with 16-year-old Brock Hoel of West Kelowna winning the men’s race in a time of 1:03:46 and Vernon’s Alesha Miller capturing the women’s event in a time of 1:14:37.
For more than 30-plus years during the August BC Day weekend, Nelsonites have witnessed people jumping into Kootenay Lake by the hundreds, biking on the North Shore’s Highway 3A before running across and back the Nelson’s BOB (Big Orange Bridge) at part of the Nelson Cyswog’n’Fun Triathlon.
However, in January, after 34 years of the Nelson Cyswog’n’Fun, the race committee decided to cancel the race due to lack of volunteers needed to successfully host the event.
