The team made its fourth and final trip for the semester to Florida this past weekend. We have been so lucky to travel to such great places this semester to race and we could not have done it without all the support of DCA and our great Officer Representatives. Furthermore, the West Point Triathlon also provides us with great support to race around the world. If you haven’t already please sign up for the race, slots are selling out quickly! Go here to register!

The team chose the beautiful Panama City Beach, FL, to dabble in a different sort of triathlon than they are used to. They chose to compete in one of the oldest and most elite half-ironman races in the country, the 26th Annual Gulf Coast Triathlon. The Half-Ironman Distance consists of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a 13.1 mile run. This was the longest race the team had competed in so far this season and for many it was the longest race they had ever done.

The competition included 1600 athletes coming from 36 states, and 15 countries. The Competitors ranged from an elite field of professional triathletes to the physically challenged competitors. Even with this stiff competition, the team was unfazed and came out blazing. All the hard work and determination really paid of for many members of the team in this race.

The 1.2-mile swim took place in very choppy ocean water conditions; everyone had a beach start that pitted them against cresting waves for the majority of the swim out. Once past the waves the team fought through large ocean swells before getting to ride the tide in on the way back. After the rough swim, everyone got on the bike to hammer out a flat but very windy 56-mile bike course. Then coming off the bike and with the heat and humidity rising, everyone set out to complete a twisting 13.1 mile run course. The morning had started off very humid but by this time in the race, the sun was emerging from the clouds and the temperature was rising, leading to very miserable conditions.

These adverse conditions did not slow down the cadets. Nicholas Vandam, in his first half-ironman clocked the fastest swim time of the day as well as following it up with a strong bike and run split. This outstanding performance not only allowed him to take 1st place in the amateur division with a 4:15.47 but it also placed him 4th overall, beating many of the professional triathletes!! Trialing Nick V. was Nicholas Sterghos. Sterghos posted one of the fastest run splits of the day with a 1:24 half-marathon split which placed him 5th overall in the Amateur ranks and 8th overall in the whole race! The team kept its stellar performance going with strong showings from Bryan Lagasse and Andy Stock, who went 3rd and 4th respectfully in the 20-24 age group. These two ran side-by-side throughout the entire 13.1 miles before Bryan took a slight lead at the end. Their strong performances placed them 31st and 33rd overall in this tough race. All in all, the Men’s team took nine out of the top 10 places in the 20-24 age group and had 10 men in the top 100 overall. Another noteable performance came from Team Captain John Leatherman who finished 5th in the 20-24 age group and 54th overall!

The women’s team also had an outstanding day. Leading the way for them was Randy Wintermantel, who was competing in her first half-ironman. Not only did she place 7th overall (after a questionable penalty) but she absolutely dominated the field on the run. Her half-Marathon time of 1:32.10 was the fastest female split of the day by over 3 minutes and the 15th fastest in the race! Yes, you read that right, 15th fastest run time. Her time of 4:59.39 led her to win the women’s 20-24 age group by more than 20 minutes! Christine Kawoczka and Christina Fenstermaker also had great races in which they took home 3rd and 7th respectfully in the 20-24 age group. You can see full results here.

The harsh environment and long distance offered a unique challenge for the team to overcome. Just like every other adversity put up against the team, they overcame and defeated. With the advice of our coach Tony De Boom on the forefront of everybody’s mind, “Your #1 goal is always to finish” everybody pushed themselves to the edge and crossed the finish line. As with many of our other races everyone was inspired to see all the cadets out in their Army gear doing so well. Many cadets were talking about how many people gave them a spirited “Go Army” or a “Hooah” or a “Beat Navy” chant.

Congratulations are also in order for 2LT Nick Dason. Nick recently found out that he was selected for the All-Army Team and will be competing at the Armed Forces Championship on May 31st in Point Mugu, California. Nick will be competing for one of the top six slots in order to qualify for the World Military Games which are to be held in Estonia June 12th-June 17th.

THE TEAM WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT IT HAS A NEW SPONSOR, XTERRA WETSUITS HAS SIGNED ON TO SUPPORT THE TEAM!!! Everyone is extremely excited to get to work with this great company and use some of their awesome products. Please take a minute to look at their website Xterra and also look for your favorite Army triathlete wearing one of these fast and flexible wetsuits in their next race!

Additionally, the team would like to congratulate the new leadership selected to guide the team for the 2008-09 season. Nicholas Vandam was elected Team Captain! His staff will be: S1 (Personnel)- Bryan Lagasse; S2 (Intel)- Dave Fobar; S3 (Training)-Rob Sherry; and S4 (Supply and TB) Ryan Peacock. The team is definitely going to be in good hands next year with this awesome group! Congrats!!

Last but certainly not least we want to introduce our two plebe guys on the team: Cadet Private Adam Bishop and Cadet Private Brendan Fox. CDT PVT Adam Bishop hails from the great state of Indiana and has been a great asset to the team throughout his first year at the Academy. Adam never fails to show up to practice with a great smile across his face that sometimes makes the upperclassman angry because he is so cheerful. Adam has improved dramatically this year and shows great promise to be a scorer for this team in the near future. Adam is a Plebe in Company B4 and below is a few questions he answered for us:

When did you first start racing triathlon?
I started at the end of my Senior year in high school. I had always wanted to do a triathlon and training for it was so much fun.

What has been your best race so far?
I think all my races this spring were awesome for me in some way or another, but I enjoyed Collegiate Nationals the best

What is your favorite leg of the race?
Definitely the bike! I love going fast and I feel like I can put a lot of time into people that might be stronger at other events than me.

What is your best memory in your triathlon career thus far?
Spring Break! It was such a blast training in Florida for a week. I wish we could do that all the time.

What are your goals for this season?
With only the Half-Ironman left, I'd just like to have fun racing that. For next year though, I'd like to go under 2:10 and for our team to win Nationals!

What advice do you have to give to other triathletes?
Have fun! If the training starts getting boring, then take a short break. I guarantee that you'll miss it within a couple of days!

What is your branch and post? (or hoping)
I'm undecided on a branch, but I'd love to go to Italy or Ft. Carson

Cadet Brendan Fox also comes from the great state of Indiana. Brendan, like Adam, has continued to improve throughout the year and shows great promise for the team in the future. Brendan is currently a Plebe in Company A4. Below are a few questions he answered for us:

When did you first start racing triathlon?
I never really raced competitively before I came to West Point.

What has been your best race so far?
Probably the Clermont Triathlon. I thought that it was an all-around good race.

What is your favorite leg of the race?
I like the bike and the run (and the transition between) all equally well. I just like to be out of the water.

What is your best memory in your triathlon career thus far?
This year has been full of good memories. I really enjoyed just working out with the team and pushing my limits to become a better athlete.

What are your goals for this season?
Well, considering that there is only one race left this year, I guess that I would like to do well at the Gulf Coast Half Ironman.

What advice do you have to give to other triathletes?
I would say that if anything, just getting out there and racing is more important than anything. Triathlon is a sport where you can learn so much from others and having a lot of experience is very beneficial. Like anything, the more you do it, the better you will be at it. Just try to learn as much as you can from those around you.

What is your branch and post? (or hoping)
I am undecided, maybe Infantry and Ft. Carson.

Thanks again for everyone’s support. We would not have been able to do so well without your continued support. GO ARMY TRIATHLON! BEAT NAVY!

Army Triathlon dominates at Mighty Man

The Army Triathlon Team traveled to Montauk this past weekend to compete in the Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference Championship and was also the final triathlon of their fall season. The team dominated, as the men took 9 of the top 10 collegiate spots and the women took home 5 of the top 6 collegiate spots. The triathlon was a sprint consisting of a 750 meter swim, 17 kilometer bike, and a 5k run. Results can be found from the results page.

Tri Team Competes at Westchester

This past weekend saw the Army Team in Westchester, NY competing in their 'A' race of the season. The team performed remarkably well, going up against a tough pro field and over 800 other competitors. Nick Dason, Nick Vandam and Nick Sterghos finished in the top 10 overall. The team was also able to take the top 4 in the Male 18-19 division, 1-5 in the Male 20-24 division and 4 out of the top 5 in the Female 20-24 division.

Army Tri takes on Navy

Army traveled to Annapolis to compete in their first Olympic distance triathlon of the season and also to see how they stacked up against Navy, who won last years National Collegiate Championship. The team performed well, with the three Nicks (Dason, Vandam and Sterghos) placing in the overall top 10. The team came close to beating Navy but ultimately fell when the final results were posted. The race gave the team valuable experience in racing at the olympic distance.

Small Contingent Travels to Penn.

Due to many conflicts with West Point, a very small group of Army Triathletes made the journey to Pennsylvania in order to compete in the Whipple Dam Tri. A very small triathlon, it nevertheless gave the group valuable racing experience on a very challenging, hilly course. West Point had a good showing, with 4 out of the 6 competitors finishing in the top 10.

West Point Triathlon a Success

The 18th annual West Point Triathlon was conducted this past Sunday at Camp Buckner. The race was a success, with over 500 competitors completing the 800 meter swim, 25 kilometer bike and 5 kilometer run. Ashley Morgan and Nicholas Vandam placed the highest among returning team members with a 1st and 2nd place respectively. The race is the teams primary fundraiser and allows them to travel to their races in the spring.