The 16-year-old finished strongly in her event which covered a 750m swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run.

She emerged from the water with three girls ahead of her and was able to claw back two spots to be delighted with her place.

“It was a really good feeling because I didn’t expect it at all after Wednesday’s (selection race),” she said.

Lander began training and competing for triathlons three years ago after she participated in her first women’s event.

“I loved it – triathlons are really addictive because you get such a buzz from it,” she said.

“Once you finish you’re happy for the rest of the day.”

Lander has natural sporting ability that has been sharpened by her commitment to training.

She currently trains 10 times a week to improve her fitness and edge up the State rankings.

“My short term aim is to improve what I did at the nationals and continue to improve on all different legs,” she said.

Her younger sister Toni, 14, is also a rising local star of the sport.

She thanked the local club and the Bailee family for their help in her training and development.