by BILLINGS, Mont. – With nearly a month to train in-between races, the weekend has arrived for MSUB triathlon to participate in the NCAA East Region Qualifier, also known as the Kinetic Cup Triathlon Saturday, October 19 at Smith Mountain Lake Reservoir in Huddleston, Virginia. With a 12 p.m. local start time; MSUB triathletes Madisan Chavez (Crow Tribe) and Maddi Terwilliger are hoping the last four weeks of training will pay off in the draft legal race, which will take place in a scenic location with rolling hills and clear blue lake water.
The event focuses on collegiate triathlon racing for NCAA Division I and Division II schools. The swim features a sandy beach start. Both bicycle and running courses are rural and not overly grueling. Colleges from mostly the mid-Athletic will bring varsity teams to compete.
“It’s been nice to have this month training block,” commented head coach Kevin Bjerke. “It’s allowed us to really ramp up our volume of training. Just the fact that we have been able to put in a lot of time working on things and getting better should translate into good results this weekend. It’s only our second draft-legal race of the season and with double the size of the field this time, it will definitely add to the excitement. Our athletes will have more opportunities to find a pack to draft.”
Saturday will be the fourth competition of the fall for the ‘Jackets. MSUB last competed in the Oktoberfest Triathlon on September 22, where Chavez represented the squad well with a 15th place finish among the collegiate women’s field.
Chavez improved from the previous race with transitions and managed better performances in both the swim and bike portions of the event. Terwilliger did not compete in Colorado but is healthy for the East Region Qualifier this weekend.
This will be the second draft-legal race of the season with a nearly identical course setup to the NCAA West Regional Triathlon in Belle Fourche, South Dakota. The swim format includes one 750-meter loop. On bike, competitors will do two out-and-back 20-kilometer stretches.
The run includes one loop out and back. Other teams expected to compete are University of San Francisco, Arizona State University, Queens University of Charlotte, University of South Dakota, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Wagner College, Black Hills State University, Colorado Mesa University, East Tennessee State University, Davis and Elkins College, American International College, and King University.
The entry limit for draft-legal races is 75 athletes for logistical and safety purposes. The ‘Jackets face a mostly full field, roughly double the size of September’s NCAA West Regional.
“This race is only a month out from Nationals so teams are using this as the perfect tune up to that event,” said Bjerke. “It has a lot of high caliber competition so I expect it to be a really good race at this time of year. It’s nice to be able to bring all the teams together to do that.”
Including Saturday, the Yellowjackets have two remaining races in the fall schedule and one spring race yet to enter. Fall ends with the NCAA National Championship November 11 in Tempe, Arizona.
