7/29/2009 6:00:00 PM Bastos, White claim top spots in Heart O' Dixie
By STEVE SWOGETINSKY Sports Editor
Felipe Bastos thought his first venture into the Heart O; Dixie Triathlon was over when he had a bike crash on the hard highway pavement Saturday morning.
But the native of Brazil stayed in the race with a bent wheel and several scrapes and bruises to win the 30th annual Heart O' Dixie Triathlon in the time of 1:57.23.
"I was on the edge of the road," Bastos said. "I was going about 31 miles per hour. I tried to move over and my wheel got caught in a crack. It crashed me and I didn't know if I was going to be able to continue."
Bastos recovered decided to continue. He was in second place before the accident and in third as he neared the station where he would leave his bike and start the seven-mile run toward the Neshoba County Fairgrounds.
"My wheel was slightly bent and that made it a little tough to ride with any speed," Bastos said. "My side and leg was hurting when I started the run but it stopped after about a mile. I just kept going and tried to win."
Bastos came to the United States a few years back and got his college degree at the University of Florida. He currently lives in Birmingham and is law student at the University of Alabama.
Hastings Puckett of Ridgeland was 26 seconds behind Bastos as he came in second with a time of 1:57.49. Patrick Almas of Jackson came in third with a time of 2:00.24, followed by Tom Lowery of Gainesville, Fla., In fourth and Larkin Carter of Jackson in fifth.
Kelly White of Starkville was the first female finisher with a time of 2:16.55. White has been competing in the Heart O' Dixie for years but gave birth about four or five months ago.
"I usually finish in the top five," White said. "But I just had a baby and I wasn't sure how I would do. This is my first time to win."
Catherine Lackey of Hoover, Ala., placed second in the women's division, followed Allison Moll of Covington, La., In third, Amanda Castle of Flowoord in fourth, and Nicki Shepard of Jackson in fifth.
The Heart O' Dixie is sponsored each year by the Philadelphia Sertoma Club.
Richard Goldman was the first Neshoba Countian to cross the finishline and was the winner of the Dickey Nowell Memorial Award which honors a former Sertoma Club member. He finished with a time of 2:10:44, and was the 22nd overall finisher.
The winners by age group were:
Male 15-19: Romedy Murr of West Point, N.Y.
Male 20-24: Piere-henri Chuet;
Male 25-29: Tripp Davis of Ridgeland;
Male 30-34: Avery Ainsworth of Jackson;
Male 35-39: Chuck Rose of Grenada;
Male 40-44: Harry Durgin of Meridian;
Male 45-49: Greg Armstrong of Grenada;
Male 50-54: Richard Yelverton of Jackson;
Male 55-59: Jerald Ainsworth of Hammond, La.;
Male 60-64: Bob Clark of Gulfport;
Male 65-98: John Carroll of Birmingham, Ala.
Women 15-19: Polly Vaughn of Decatur.
Women 20-24: Parisa Toghiani of Starkville;
Women 25-29: Lauren Hill of Purvis;
Women 30-34: Melanie Harrell of Madison;
Women 35-39: Melissa Atkins of Columbus;
Women 40-44: Sophia Lal of Birmingham;
Women 45-49: Stephanie Ashworth of Montgomery, Ala.;
