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2024 Youth Series Round Up

ByEmma Porter |

Featuring 14 race opportunities throughout the season, the Youth Series has come to a close for 2024. With the opening scoring round in April, it came down to the National Youth Championships in August for more than one age group to decide the overall winner.

*The overall winners are decided based on their best three performances throughout the season. A winning performance gives an athlete 700 points towards their series rankings, a 2nd place finish is 647.5, while 3rd place receives 598.93 points, and so on. The Youth National Championships awards 1,000 points to the winner, 925 to 2nd, 855 to 3rd, and so on.

16 – 17 Youth Series

Pearse Gallagher of Predator Triathlon Club was awarded full points for his three victories at Lough Cutra Castle Youth Series, Camida Clonmel Triathlon, and the Youth National Championships.

Gallagher’s club mate Darragh Reynolds held on for 2nd in the 16-17 Youth Series after a close battle with 3rd place series finisher Darragh Lazenby of Athy Triathlon Club. The pair were separated by less than 17 points in the overall rankings.

While Lazenby took the top spot at Skerries Junior Triathlon and Cork City Youth Series, Reynolds produced a win at Tri Kingdom Come and a 2nd place finish at Camida Clonmel Triathlon. The Youth National Championships saw Reynolds finish ahead of Lazenby by a 4 second advantage to secure 2nd in the Boys 16-17 Youth Series ranking, while Lazenby rounded out the series podium.

In the Female 16-17 age group, Predator Triathlon Club were on top again, with Nessa Mangan securing wins at Lough Cutra Castle Youth Series, Athy Flat Out Duathlon, and the Youth National Championships.

Aoibheann Ryan of Tried and Tested claimed 2nd in the series overall rankings, with wins at Camida Clonmel Triathlon and the Centra Fastnet Youth Series. Her third place finish at the Youth National Championships secured her a total of 2,255.625 points and second place in the Girls 16-17 category.

Chloe Young was the final athlete on the 16-17 Youth Series overall podium. Young took the top spot at South Lake Junior Triathlon, Cork City Youth Series, and the Newry TC Youth Series Aquathlon, before a 4th place finish at the Youth National Championship to cement her ranking on the overall series podium.

14 – 15 Youth Series

With wins at Athy Flat Out Duathlon, Lough Cutra Castle Youth Series, and the Youth National Championships Gearoid Tuohy of Sligo Tri Club claimed a perfect score of 2,400 points to wrap up the Male 14-15 Youth Series.

In a similar finish to the Boys 12-13 category, Evan Tosh finished in 2nd place in the 14-15 Youth Series. Tosh was in winning form at the Newry TC Youth Series Aquathlon and the Skerries Junior Triathlon to put himself in contention of winning the Boys 14-15 Youth Series. However, the Youth National Championship was to be the main decider between the pair for the top spot in the category rankings.

Eoin Mulkerrins of Athy Triathlon Club rounded out the 14-15 Youth Series podium. Having claimed wins at Cork City Youth Triathlon and Centra Fastnet Youth Series, Mulkerrins was 4th at the Youth National Championships to cement his place on the podium for the overall series rankings.

Lara Buck of Wicklow Triathlon Club also produced a perfect score of 2,400 points to claim the Female 14-15 Youth Series title. Having taken on 9 of the 12 races, she was only once not on the top spot of the podium. She was followed by Lara O’Brien Leahy of Tralee Tri Club in the series overall rankings. O’Brien Leahy won the Centra Fastnet Youth Series, and secured two second place finishes at the Camida Clonmel Aquathlon and Youth National Championships.

The 14-15 Youth Series overall podium was closed out by Amy O’Rourke of Athy Triathlon Club. O’Rourke took on all twelve racing opportunities throughout the season. With a win at Newry TC Youth Series Aquathlon, O’Rourke produced a consistent string of 2nd place finishes and a 3rd place at the Youth National Championships for 3rd in her category.

12 – 13 Youth Series

The 12-13 Youth Series Male was claimed by William McNally who found his form later in the season with three wins across the Pulse Junior Triathlon, Tri Kingdom Come, and the Youth National Championships. McNally claimed a total score of 2,400 points, with the Youth National Championships offering higher points than other Youth Series races.

McNally was closely followed by Eoghan Looney of Midleton Tri Club, who boasted a strong season. Looney took wins in Athy, Cork City Youth Triathlon, and the Camida Aquathlon in Clonmel. His second place in the Youth National Championships was the only deciding factor between himself and McNally, with only four seconds separating the pair.

Thomas Byrne of Predator Triathlon Club rounded out the overall Youth Series podium in the Male 12-13 Age Group. Byrne was the first across the line at the Tried and Tested Kids Tri, as well as at the Skerries Junior Triathlon. He then finished third in his category at the Youth National Championships.

Ella-Louise Donnelly of Athy Triathlon Club claimed the top spot in the Female 12-13 Youth Series. With three second place finishes to choose from at the Newry TC Youth Series Aquathlon, the Athy Flat Out Duathlon, and the Camida Clonmel Aquathlon, Donnelly was able to add those points to a win at the Moby Dick Youth National Series and a win at Youth National Championships to seal the series title with 2,347.5 points.

Donnelly was closely followed by Roxanne Sands who claimed 2325 points. Sands took the top spot at the Athy Flat Out Duathlon and Cork City Youth Triathlon, and finished in 2nd place at the Youth National Championships.

Sophie Rankin of Down Triathlon Club rounded out the Female12-13 Youth Series podium for 2024 with 2,255.625 points. Ranking added a 3rd place finish at the Youth National Championships to two wins at the Newry TC Youth Series Aquathlon and the Camida Aquathlon in Clonmel to claim the final overall podium spot in her category.

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