Callahan Eckardt, of Shawnee, competes in the bike portion of the 2011 HyVee Ironkids Triathlon held Saturday, June 11, 2011, at Clinton Lake State Park.

Some junior triathletes forced their arms up in the air as they crossed the finish line of the HyVee IronKids Triathlon on Saturday at Clinton State Park.

Others doubled over after breaking through the finishing tape, tired after sprinting through the finishing chute amid cheering and the clatter of cowbells.

And for those who finished in the top five of their age group to qualify for the IronKids National Championship, the physical exhaustion was quickly squelched by their excitement.

Official results were not available at press time, but several Lawrence athletes qualified for the national championship, which will be held Sept. 17 in West Des Moines, Iowa.

There were three age divisions: junior (ages 6-8), intermediate (9-11) and senior (12-15).

The distances increased with each division. Juniors swam 50 yards, biked two miles and ran 500 yards. Intermediates swam 150 yards, biked four miles and ran one mile. Seniors swam 300 yards, biked eight miles and ran two miles.

Charlie Newsome, an 11-year-old from Lawrence, didn’t qualify for the national race, but considering he took a nasty spill during the two-mile biking portion, his ability to finish the race was impressive.

Newsome’s bike slipped out from underneath him when he was turning a corner. Its chain popped off when it hit the concrete.

“My dad and this other guy came over and fixed the chain,” Newsome said.

Newsome popped back onto his bike and finished the race with fresh scratches on his arms and shoulders.

A member of the Lawrence Aquahawks, Newsome enjoyed the swimming portion of the race the most, and understandably so — he led the intermediate group after the 150-yard swim.

Bryan Pendergraft, from Conway, Ark., was the fastest 11-year-old.

He started doing triathlons about three years ago, starting with one in his hometown.

His favorite part of the race is the biking portion, made easier when he received a new time-trial bike for Christmas.

“It’s just fun now,” Pendergraft said.

This was Pendergraft’s first IronKids event, but if he and his family decide to attend the national championship, it won’t be his last.

The race was the first of the 14-event HyVee IronKids Midwest Series. It was also the first IronKids event held in Lawrence.

Many participants’ parents are competing in the Ironman 70.3 Kansas, which starts at 6:30 this morning.