Triathlon prepared for National Championship, improving each day

The triathlon program will be finishing their inaugural season this Saturday at the Collegiate National Triathlon Championship. The Falcons, consisting of two freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and a senior, have been working hard all season to impress to those in and around Concordia Wisconsin, as well as nationally.

"I think our first season is going pretty well," head coach Andrew Shanks said. "I didn't know what to expect with a new team and a new program, but it turned out really well. I've seen growth throughout the team in races and on a personal level."

For senior Rebecca Gutzmann, this was her first time she ever competed in a triathlon, let alone several of them over a month span.

"I think overall the team has working hard and performing to the best of our abilities," Gutzmann stated. "Personally, I've surprised myself. I've done better than I thought I would and being able to see my improvement progress, as well as the teams from the beginning of the season until now, is crazy."

Concordia Wisconsin's season began with a competition every week for four weeks. Since then there has been a month and a half break to prepare for the National Championship.

"We do a lot of exercises to prepare for the competition," said Shanks. "It's tough because the first month of the season there was so much to do with what seemed like so little time. So, with this month break it's nice to be able to take a break and come back fresh."

Gutzmann and the rest team have been staying consistent with their practices, making sure to hit all the key exercises to improve their skills. This break has given them the chance to refocus after a busy first couple weeks of the season. The gap in competitions has also given the Falcons a chance to recharge and come back as refreshed as they can be so the can head into the National Championship with confidence.

The National Championship includes teams from all across the country, including programs from different NCAA divisions.

"This competition gives us a chance on to find out how we can be better against some of the tougher teams," Gutzmann expressed. "I'd like to see my times, as well as my fellow team members times, improve as we head into our last competition of the season."

"To have any of the triathletes finish would be a great achievement for the team this weekend," Shanks said. "We all came into this sport with everything being so new to us; the equipment, the competitions and many other factors of the sport. So, being able to finish at the National Championship would really show how much the team has been improving since the beginning of the season."

With only one senior, the team next season will consist of athletes who have the experience that this rookie team didn't have this year. The program will be looking to improve season by season as new freshmen join the program and the upperclassmen advance their skills over time. With the first year of the program almost over, there will always be something to improve on and as each triathletes skill set allows them to race faster, the results for this program will only get better.

"This season has been a lot of fun," Gutzmann said. "It has been great to meet new people, gain friendships and train every day with my teammates. Although the sport has an individual aspect, it's great to have a team full of people with the same goals and ambition as you have."