Meet the newest Falcons: Triathlon, Field Hockey ready to get things started

MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia Wisconsin's Athletic Department is welcoming in two new programs this fall, with Field Hockey and Triathlon set to begin compeition. Both are new Women's sports for the Falcons and they are surely very different, as they share one trait: competing in a Falcons uniform will set new standards.

Triathlon

Entering the new school year brings the beginning of the Women's Triathlon program. The team is coached by Andrew Shanks and consists of eight athletes on the roster. There are two different types of triathlon races, conference races and Age-Group races. This season there are only two conference races and the rest are a-troop.

A conference race is draft legal and only can include five of the eight people on the roster competing in an event. A conference race consists of sprint distances where you can get lapped out if the leader passes you and they also consist of a 750-meter swim, a 12.4 mile bike ride and a 3.1 mile run, all depending on course availability.

An Age-Group race features non-drafting in which all eight on the roster can compete. A standard Age-Group race consists of sprint distances, but everyone is allowed to go at their own pace.

Taking over a whole new program from scratch can be a challenge, but with a week's worth of practice already under their belts, the team looks to be right on schedule for their first event this Saturday (August 27) in Maple Grove, Minn.

"First week has been pretty good," Shanks said. "For a lot of the team they are learning new skills, so it was slow going to start, but I planned accordingly so we are right on track."

With three different sports going on in one event, there are sure to be ups and downs during the course of the event. Shanks has said the swimming has probably been the most difficult as far as training has gone, but the team continues improvement each day.

"Trying to round the girls out as a triathlete takes some give and pull," Shanks explains. "Some are great runners, but need improvement in swimming; but on the other end, if a girl is a great swimmer she might need some more practice in running."

With triathlon being a newer sport, it is emerging on the NCAA sports list for women. Shanks hopes the sport can continue its growth. In order to become an NCAA sport at the Division III level, Triathlon must have 28 teams within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal.

"The sport is definitely building," Shanks stated. "There are schools all over the country that are still developing programs and as those teams join in it will build momentum for the sport."

Since the sport is so new to the collegiate community, there is a lot of information to get out to the women interested in competing and letting them know that this is a possible opportunity. Besides coaching, Shanks knows he plays a key role in educating others.

"A lot of it is making the sport known," Shanks expressed. "Recruiting is a little different and looking for the right athletes to recruit can be a challenge. Introducing myself and the sport and letting the women know that the transition is different is key. This is three sports in one and so CUW works hard to make the transition as easy as possible."

With only five competitions this season, the Triathlon team will have to work hard to make their new program something to remember. "The team is keeping me busy and I'm having a blast coaching the women," Shanks said. "I'm excited to see what the season brings us."

Field Hockey

The Falcons, led by head coach Samantha Landis, have been at it since the end of last week, and the first-year head coach has already seen some strong improvements from her program.

"Things have been going really well so far," said Landis on the first couple days of practice. "We have seen a lot of improvement already and the team unity is looking really strong so far."

Any first year program will also go through some difficult times and the Falcons will certainly be taking on plenty of experienced field hockey programs. Still, CUW has a roster full of players with field hockey experience, and also a roster that features several experienced athletes from CUW, mostly from either the Women's Lacrosse or Ice Hockey programs.

And of course, Landis can look no further than another program she is a part of on campus for guidance, the Women's Lacrosse program. The Falcons program started in 2011 certainly had a few bumps in the road to start, but now has become the premier program in its conference and is a two-time NCAA qualifier.

"I learned a lot from watching Emily [Schoessow] coach and how she grew her program over the years," stated Landis. "We are hoping and expecting to have success early and in year one, but we definitely want to emulate the way Women's Lacrosse has grown their program."

The Falcons will face several challenges in year one, among those is the travel schedule facing the team. CUW has just one home game this season, and all but a few games will be in the Eastern Time zone. The Falcons lone home game is set for October 14 against Lindenwood Belleville.

It should be an exciting first season for the Concordia Wisconsin Field Hockey team. One that features new experiences, several long trips and likely some success that helps set the tone for one of the Falcons newest athletic programs.