Aug 8, 2017 10:57 AM

Torrential downpours postponed the original date of Quogue Field Club’s eighth annual Teen Triathlon from Saturday to Sunday, and what a difference a day made; the teens woke up to pleasant conditions on Sunday morning to enjoy a clean running of the race.

The triathlon began with a quarter-mile swim in Penniman Creek right off the docks of Shinnecock Yacht Club, followed by a 7-mile bike ride through the surrounding neighborhood, and ending with a 2-mile run, with the finish line on the grounds of the field club.

Last year’s runner up, Billy Goodwin, returned this year to win it all in 38:00, besting the field of 33 participants, consisting of 13- and 14-year-olds. James Daly placed second in 41:50 and Henry Brown placed third in 42:10.

In the girls race, Carolyn Casey, last year’s runner up, returned and won, crossing the finish line in 42:19. Emma Hentemann placed second in 44:26 and LuLu Bradley placed third in 45:05.

As it is every year, the triathlon was a fundraiser for a charity chosen by the teens who participated in the event. Red Sneakers For Oakley was chosen as this year’s beneficiary.

Oakley Gage Debbs died on November 26, 2016, at age 11, when he suffered a delayed anaphylactic shock after eating a piece of coffee cake at a family party that turned out to contain traces of walnuts. The Debbs family, which lives full time in Florida, summered in Quogue and were members of the Quogue Field Club, according to Kate Leness, the coordinator of junior sports at the club. Red Sneakers For Oakley was started by Oakley’s parents, Robert and Merrill, to raise awareness about the danger of food allergies through the creation of education programs, community outreach and advocacy.

The triathlon is a lead up to the culmination of the junior sports camp at the club with Field Day on Saturday, August 19, in which the entire camp, with children age four to 14 participate. Leness said there will be a collection of competitions between the two camp teams, the Wildcats and the Leopards.