THE region has two new national champions after Zoe Addinsall, 14, won the Under-17 Tetrathlon at the Modern Pentathlon Australia national championships in Melbourne at the weekend.

Addinsall topped the ranks by 22 points, winning her swimming event and finishing second in the laser run, while Matilda Mason, 13, finished 76 points clear to claim the Under-15 title.

Addinsall said winning the individual award and competing in a team’s event was good reward and kept her busy throughout the two-day event.

“We started off Saturday morning with fencing then did swimming warm-up, got out of the pool and did our running warm-up and shooting warm-up then got back in the pool and competed, got out and did our laser run,” she said.

“On Sunday we had our team event, my team placed fifth and we did really well.

“It was a fun experience, because I haven’t competed in teams events very often.”

The Ballarat Grammar boarder said she did not have any expectations, but was glad to perform well and sharing the success with Mason added to the occasion.

“I just had a positive mindset and wanted to do my best,” she said.

“It is always really good, we are both in age groups so we can both be winners at the same time.”

It was their first national championships after a COVID Cup event replaced the nationals last year, but this year Queenslanders and Western Australians competed.

Mason said it felt good to be a national champion and performed well in an unexpected sport.

“I won the youth category for fencing, which I wasn’t expecting,” she said.

“I haven’t had much experience with it.”

With Mason’s favourite sport, horse riding, not available for the younger age groups, the Monivae College student will need to step up next year into a higher age group if she wants to include that in her campaign.

It comes shortly after the pair also won pony club national championships, as the pair look to build on their performances with additional training through the winter months.

The weekend’s victories also put the pair in contention for world championship selection with the event set to be in Portugal later in the year.

The selection committee was scheduled to meet after the national championships to finalise the Australian squad.