HE’S chuffed with his performance at last month’s School Sport Australia Triathlon Championships at Hervey Bay, Queensland, which netted him a relay gold medal and individual top 10 finish, but Orange’s Connor Whiteley wants more next year.

Should he qualify for the 2017 national titles - which would be his last - he wants podium finishes in both events.

“I’m pretty happy (with this year’s results) ... I’d like to get top three, podium, finishes in both the relay and individual races next year if I qualify though,” Whiteley said.

Whiteley’s NSW team claimed a gold medal in the All Age Relay, where each athlete completes a full triathlon comprising a 200m swim, 6km cycle and 2km run, clocking 1.42.78 as a group.

The Orange gun was the second quickest of his team, which included Catriona Henderson, Emily Jamgotchian and Hamish Longmuir, in 21.56.

NSW beat out Queensland (3) and Queensland (1), in second and third respectively, to claim the top prize.

“They changed the format to the same as what we’d seen at the Commonwealth Games [in 2014]. Our team was really strong, everyone did a great job,” Whiteley explained.

“I started my leg with us in second and caught the person in front on the cycle leg. We stayed in the lead from then on, the athletes who did our third and fourth legs did a really good job to hold the lead.”

The Kinross Wolaroi School student finished seventh in his male 17-19 category, individual race (750m swim, 20km cycle, 5km run) on Wednesday, April 20, clocking an hour and 33 seconds.

There was only one minute and 21 seconds between Whiteley and the winner, Western Australia’s Luke Bate.

“It was my best result, I’ve been to four of these now,” he explained.

“I’d been penalised in the individual race the last couple of years, so I finished further back than my performance would’ve put me.

“Intent doesn’t matter though, if you break the rules you cop the punishment, but this year the race was draft legal. What I’d be penalised for in the past was legal this year, so it was nice to get a result which reflected my performance and hard work in preparation.

“I really need to thank my coaches, training partners and my parents for everything they do to help me as well.”

James Sheahan Catholic High School students Jessie Dean and Kinisha Roweth also turned out in Hervey Bay - they competed for their schools, but together with Whiteley the trio are also members of Mel Ashton-Garard’s HyPER Hy Performance Endurance Racing squad.

Dean finished 19th in her female 13-14 race while Roweth pushed hard but was unable to finish her female 17-19 race.