ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy women's triathlon team secured a fourth-place finish out of 10 teams Sunday morning in its historic inaugural home race on the grounds of the Naval Academy. After water conditions were deemed unsafe, the standard 750-meter swim was canceled, shifting the event to a 2.4-kilometer run, a 20-km bike ride, and a 5-km run.
TCU claimed the team title in a tightly scored contest with 286 points, edging out Duquesne (278) and San Francisco (227). Navy missed the podium by a single point with 226. Duquesne's Daria Ermolova topped the field of 64 competitors, winning the race individually in 58:23.
"It was awesome to host a top-notch event and showcase the Navy brand," head coach
Billy Edwards said. "We were a mechanical and a lead pack crash away from winning, but that's racing. We went for the win and fell short on the podium. I am totally happy on how aggressive the team raced today."
Allison Heine led the Midshipmen with a fifth-place overall finish in 1:00:42, anchoring her performance with Navy's fastest 5-km run split of the day at 17:12.
Madelyn Berry followed in 13th place (1:01:35), and
Dylan Cashin took 24th (1:02:28).
Natalie Wang showcased the team's early aggression, clocking Navy's fastest opening 2.4-km run at 8:19. She ran among the top three racers before a mechanical error on her bike on the final lap of the course forced her to withdraw from the final leg.
MC Kistler, who finished 30th overall (1:03:10), stepped up to record the team's best 20-km bike split at 33:33.
Leah Norton (28th, 1:02:53),
Keira Wilkinson (29th, 1:03:03),
Allison Miller (34th, 1:03:45),
Julia Lisa (49th, 1:05:48), and
Ella Sims (56th, 1:11:26) rounded out the competing field for the Midshipmen.
Navy returns to action for the postseason, traveling to the NCAA East Regional Qualifier at Lake Lanier, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 17, beginning at 10 a.m.
Team Scores
1. TCU: 286
2. Duquesne: 278
3. San Francisco: 227
4. Navy: 226
5. Delaware State: 167
6. Denver: 160
7. East Tennessee State: 144
8. La Salle: 133
9. Wagner: 45
10. Eastern Mennonite: 7
Navy Individual Results
Allison Heine – 5
th place – 1:00:42
Madelyn Berry – 13
th place – 1:01:35
Dylan Cashin – 24
th place – 1:02:28
Leah Norton – 28
th place – 1:02:53
Keira Wilkinson – 29
th place – 1:03:03
MC Kistler – 30
th place – 1:03:10
Allison Miller – 34
th place – 1:03:45
Julia Lisa – 49
th place – 1:05:48
Ella Sims – 56
th place – 1:11:26
Natalie Wang – DNF
