LAKE LANIER, Ga. – Dylan Cashin and Keira Wilkinson earned automatic bids to the national championship to help the Navy triathlon team achieve a program-best third-place finish at the NCAA East Regional Qualifier on Saturday morning in Lake Lanier, Ga.
 
"When the team goes from eighth place to third in a year, you have to look at the whole picture," Navy head coach Billy Edwards said. "This squad is racing as such a great team thanks to the leadership from MC (Kistler)."
 
Wingate claimed the overall team title with 743 points, while Queens took runner-up honors with 705 points. Navy and Duquesne each scored 674 points, but the Midshipmen secured the placement advantage thanks to their fifth scorer. Leah Norton finished 32nd in 1:08:28, narrowly beating out Duquesne's fifth scorer, Vivien Mattice, who placed 34th in 1:08:38.
 
Duquesne's Daria Ermolova won the individual race with a total time of 1:03:33.
 
Cashin led the Midshipmen with an 11th-place finish, crossing the line in 1:05:29. Wilkinson followed in 16th place with a time of 1:06:06. By placing in the top 20, both athletes secured automatic bids to the Collegiate Triathlon National Championship, which will be held on Sunday, Nov. 8, in Tempe, Ariz.
 
Navy's scoring lineup was bolstered by Allison Heine, who finished 23rd (1:07:08), and Natalie Wang, who placed 27th (1:07:48), before Norton sealed the tiebreaker.
 
"The team performed as a team today and with depth," Edwards said. "We had great races out of Dylan and Keira, and we even survived some tough swims out of Natalie and Allison, who fought back."
 
The Midshipmen showcased balanced speed across all three segments of the race. Norton recorded Navy's fastest swim time at 10:15. Wilkinson paced the team on the bike with a 32:26 split, while Cashin and Wang tied for the fastest run on the squad, both clocking in at 20:08.
 
The rest of the national championship field will take shape this weekend. Additional championship berths will be determined following Sunday's West regional race. An additional 35 individuals from Heat A will earn at-large bids based on their overall performances, regardless of region.
 
Team Scores
1. Wingate: 743 Points
2. Queens: 705 Points
3. Navy: 674 Points
4. Duquesne: 674 Points
5. Lenoir Rhyne: 672 Points
6. East Tennessee State: 669 Points
7. Delaware State: 558 Points
8. La Salle: 529 Points
9. Indianapolis: 525 Points
10. Trine: 482 Points
11. Concord: 389 Points
12. Emmanuel: 370 Points
13. Newberry: 352 Points
14. Northern Kentucky: 323 Points
15. Barton: 294 Points
16. King: 289 Points
17. Wagner: 267 Points
18. Warren Wilson: 179 Points
19. Gallaudet: 167 Points
20. Eastern Mennonite: 81 Points
21. Guilford: 74 Points
 
Navy Individual Results
Dylan Cashin - 11th place - 1:05:29
Keira Wilkinson - 16th place - 1:06:06
Allison Heine - 23rd place - 1:07:08
Natalie Wang - 27th place - 1:07:48
Leah Norton - 32nd place - 1:08:28
Madelyn Berry – 41^st place – 1:10:17
Allison Miller – 49^th place – 1:11:10
MC Kistler – 52^nd place – 1:11:30
Julia Lisa – 63^rd place – 1:16:52