Tyson Pompelia etched his name in Neshoba County Fair history on Saturday morning.
Pompelia became only the second competitor to win three straight Heart Of Dixie Triathlons as he crushed the competition by more than six minutes with a final time of 1:54:36, well ahead of Meridian’s Adam Leister who finished with a time of 2:04:58.
For Pompelia, a Collinsville veterinarian who was the first in the water, dominated from the beginning, finishing the half-mile swim in a race best 11 minutes and 24 seconds. But Pompelia won the race on his bike, which took him 27.5 miles from Lake Tiak-O’Khata in Louisville to Williamsville in Philadelphia. Pompelia was also first on the bike with a time of 1:01:12, which was a rate of 27 miles an hour.
“That’s the best I had today, that’s awesome,” Pompelia said. “I am real happy with that time. Vic Kelly did it the first three years of the race so that’s pretty cool to win it three years in a row. That’s making some memories. To come here and just able to compete is awesome but to be able to come here and win three years in a row is something I never dreamed that I would be able to do.
“I love this race. Sunfish is my hometown race but I love Heart Of Dixie. I love the atmosphere, the people who put it on, it’s a great cause. They do a fantastic job. When you hit the fair, people are hollering for you and when you make the lap around the track, it feels like the longest half time. You have people cheering for you. It’s just a cool experience.”
After getting off the bike at Williamsville, Pompelia cruised to the win as he ran the seven miles in 40 minutes and 24 seconds, finishing with a victory lap at the Neshoba County Fair grandstand area just before 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
“We had a good plan going into the race,” Pompelia said. “We felt like we had a good shot at doing well today. We just got in front and stayed there. We had a really good bike split and it took my legs a little while to get going on the run. Once we got going, it was OK.
“It is hard, you just have to know that you have to push yourself. I won a race by four seconds and I know how close they can be. With the time-trail start, you have to hustle the entire time. If you get out front and ease off, the back who can run you down. It keeps you hustling and have to dig deep the entire time.”
The Heart of Dixie win was the third win for the 36-year-old Pompelia this year after he won the Sunfish in Meridian and the Heatwave in Ridgeland.
Wile the top woman
On the women’s side, relative newcomer Anna Wile of Meridian was the top female finisher with an overall time 2:16:41.
Wile is a Meridian High graduate and got her bachelor’s degree from Millsaps. Wile recently finished medical school, finishing up her year of residency and her national board exams this past Tuesday. Wile will begin working for Rush Hospital at their Dermatology Center in Meridian.
Wile got off to a good start as she was fifth in the swim with a time of 12 minutes, seven seconds. Wile then did the bike in 1:13:23 and the run in 49:43.
“It was a good day,” Wile said. “It was a lot cooler which was nice. The swim was really smooth and perfect. I love that they seed some of the faster people so you don’t have to fight people on the swim. My bike felt like it was really solid and I took some time off of last year. The run is just tough, you have to do what you can do. It’s a hard run with rolling hills and it’s hot. I just took it one mile at a time. I just focused on running each mile in the time I wanted to and tried to stay steady on the uphills and fast on the downhills. It just happened to be my day where I could put it all together.”
Wile has catapulted to the top of the Heart of Dixie after competing in her first one just two years ago. But Wile hooked up with two-time defending Heart O Dixie champion Mary Robinson and won the Sunfish in Meridian on July 14.
“I did a few in college but took a hiatus during medical school,” Wile said. “I didn’t get into it until about two years ago. My first Heart O’ Dixie was about two years ago and I wasn’t very competitive. Last year, I came in fourth so I feel like I’m making progress. I have been working with a coach and one thing is how you train and putting in quality workouts in every day. You put in a little bit of pain and suffering every day and gets you ready for the pain during the race. Also, training with fast people helps. One of my training partners won it last year and she got me in it. She won it last year and chasing her around really helped me.”
Goldman wins 12th DickeyNowell Award
The top Neshoba County finisher was Richard Goldman, who finished with a time of 2:11:52, which was good enough for 12th overall. Goldman, who is a manager at the Neshoba County Co-op, won the Dickey Nowell Award for the 12 time as the top male finisher from Neshoba County. It was his seven straight time to win the Dickey Nowell Award. The top female finisher from Neshoba County was Shannon Morrow.
For the 32-year-old Goldman, the Heart of Dixie is mainly about hometown pride.
“That’s the main reason I train every year is for this race and to do my best at this race,” Goldman said. “I guess it’s just hometown pride, having that title every year.
“I moved up to manager this year and have a lot more responsibility. I’ve been training about 10-12 hours a week, probably a little less than last year because I have so much responsibility. We have a 3-year-old at home and have to keep your priorities in line.”
