Women's Collegiate National Championships Debut Sunday in Clermont | Sports Destination Management

Women's Collegiate National Championships Debut Sunday in Clermont

Share
Oct 31, 2014
Invitation-Only Field to Compete in Draft-Legal Sprint Triathlon at Lake Louisa State Park

Top triathletes around the country will compete this weekend in the first-ever Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships, set for Sunday, Nov. 2, at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, Florida.

Race-day action will begin at 10:30 a.m. and athletes will compete on a sprint-distance 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run course within the park. The draft-legal competition structure and rules will be used at the collegiate level when triathlon is granted official NCAA sport status.

Athletes on the start list were invited to compete based on results from the 2014 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships and the 2014 Junior Elite rankings. Additionally, invitations were sent to athletes who may not be affiliated with a collegiate or junior club team and have posted competitive times in previous draft-legal events. Nearly 20 teams will be represented.

UCLA's Kelly Kosmo, who finished third at the Draft-Legal Collegiate Championships and 11th in the traditional Olympic-distance race at Collegiate Club Nationals earlier this year, highlights the start list. Also on the start list are women who finished within the top 20 percent of the Collegiate Club Nationals Olympic-distance event, which featured 451 female finishers. Those athletes include Bria Edwards (Penn State), Stephanie Murphy (U.S. Naval Academy), Savannah Dearden (UCSB) and Hannah Dalsing (Northern Arizona).

Read more about these athletes and this weekend's event at usatriathlon.org.

Triathlon received overwhelming approval through a voting process this past January at the NCAA Conference in San Diego by Division I, II and III colleges and universities to be included as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, and has a 10-year window to demonstrate sustainability as an NCAA sport option. For more information on triathlon as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, visit usatriathlon.org/ncaa.

About USA Triathlon: USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with nearly 500,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

(Click to Expand)