Triathlete Ellen Pennock – a former standout with the UVic Vikes cross country team – was the top Canadian, sixth overall, at the Pan Am Games in Toronto on Saturday.
Pennock’s teammates, Paula Findlay and Joanna Brown, finished ninth and 13th, respectively.
“I had a tough year after breaking my collarbone so it has been a long journey to come back into form. That was my best race this year which is positive for me,” said Pennock, who originally relocated from Calgary to Saanich, but now lives in Fairfield. “It was really an amazing experience out there with the Canadians cheering.”
Pennock, 22, is one of the nation’s promising young stars in the sport. The Pan Am Games was her first major international race since suffering a broken collarbone at last year’s Commonwealth Games, and a stress fracture in Australia during the winter.
“I just enjoyed the cheering from that hometown crowd coming in. It is something I will never forget,” she said.
Pennock’s time was one hour, 48 minutes and 42 seconds, followed by Findlay (1:59:55) and Brown 2:02:04).
Andrew Yorke finished led the Canadian men in seventh, (1:49:31), followed by youngster Tyler Mislawchuk in 10th (1:49:31), and Kyle Jones, who was unable to finish.