Race Coverage

Gopher-alls & Vuvuzelas...

Wednesday, 16 May 2018 23:10

By Andy Hardt

The University of Minnesota Triathlon team competed at the 2018 Collegiate National Championships last weekend (April 27th-28th) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. High rains led to strong currents, and so all races were changed into duathlon format....

UM Collegiate Nationals Recap - The Gophers ran-biked-ran to a strong finish, with the women finishing 33rd, the men 21st, and the overall team 22nd. This was a large improvement from 2017, when the Gophers finished 45th.

In the Friday draft legal race, Melanie Mahoney (36th; 56:40) and Garrett Williams (35th; 48:13) were the Gophers’ scorers in the 2.5k-20k-2.5k race. Williams used a strong second run to move up the field, while Mahoney worked her way into a strong bike pack that swallowed the one ahead of it.

In the Saturday Olympic race, all athletes competed in the 5k-40k-5k non-draft distance. The female scorers were Toni Marano (203rd; 2:14:21), Mahoney (207th; 2:14:53), Noelle Schumacker (209th 2:15:09), and Sophie Rabino (233rd; 2:17:23). The male scorers were Jon Delaney (37th; 1:40:53), Williams (89th; 1:45:18), Andy Hardt (157th; 1:50:02), and Jarrett Mansergh (194th; 1:52:29).

To finish off the weekend, on Saturday afternoon the Gophers competed in the Mixed Team Relay, a fast-paced four-person draft-legal relay that totals to a sprint triathlon (in this case duathlon). The Gophers, with a team of Mahoney, Delaney, Rabino, and Williams finished in 15th place with a time of 1:17:16, narrowly outkicking rival Wisconsin.

In addition to the racing, the Minnesota team WON the "Team Spirit Competition." The officials found it tough to overlook the Minnesota team’s “Gopher-alls” and vuvuzelas, and the enthusiasm with which they cheered on their teammates.

The University of Minnesota Triathlon Team races in the Midwest Conference. The team will kick off its summer season at Pigman Triathlon in Cedar Rapids, IA on June 3rd. The Midwest Conference Championship race will be our own Maple Grove Triathlon on August 25th.