The Lady Flames prepare to start Sunday's Patriot Sprint Triathlon on Jamestown Beach. (Photos by Leigh Ann Tannar)
Flames, Lady Flames sweep season-opening Patriots Sprint Triathlon
9/12/2023 10:45:00 PM | Triathlon
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Both Liberty’s men’s and women’s triathlon teams won their respective collegiate races held Sunday in Jamestown, Va.
Both Liberty University's men's and women's triathlon teams won their respective collegiate races at the Patriots Sprint Triathlon in Jamestown, Va., which featured a 1.5-kilometer swim in the James River followed by a relatively flat 40K cycling stage and 10K run.
"Liberty Triathlon is off to an early and yet amazing start to the year with a team that includes seven new, but experienced triathletes," Liberty Head Coach Heather Gollnick said. "Knowing we had a strong recruiting class coming in this year, the coaching staff was very excited to see the athletes compete. It was amazing to be out on the course with the whole team for our first race."Â
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Liz Brower finished first out of 36 collegiate women.
The Lady Flames dominated the women's race, with junior Liz Brower (1 hour, 14 minutes, 8 seconds), freshman Kendall Leininger (1:16:23), and senior Natalie Rowell (1:17:08) finishing first, second, and third, respectively.
"I was really impressed with all of our Lady Flames today sweeping the podium," Gollnick said. "To see our ladies go 1-2-3 was awesome. Natalie Rowell improved tremendously with consistent training over the summer."
Rowell, who completed the course 15 seconds in front of the University of Virginia's Anna Stevenson the, said she was able to keep Brower and Leininger within sight for most of the course's three stages.
"It was encouraging to race with my teammates at every different phase of the race," she said. "Every time the race got hard, my motivation to keep trying my hardest was fueled by the teammates around me on the course."
Junior Isabella Lang (ninth in 1:19:52) and freshman Morgan Dalton (10th in 1:20:11) rounded out Liberty's representation in the to 10 before freshman Kalina Flick (15th in 1:22:53), sophomore Sarah Russo (18th in 1:29:23), and senior Laney Plimpton (20th in 1:30:18) finished in the top 20 in a field of 36 collegiate women.
The Flames' men's team was paced by returning graduate student Drew Thibault who finished second overall in 1:03:48.Â
Freshmen Alex Schimmel (sixth in 1:07:28.8) and Gabe Shreve (seventh in 1:07:31.7) thrilled the crowd with a full sprint to the finish. They were followed closely by Brandon Schimmel (eighth in 1:07:48.7), another newcomer who described the team as a family away from home.
"Getting the chance to be a part of such a tightly knit group of individuals who come together to be the very best version of themselves, to bring glory to God has been such a blessing," he said. "This being my first season with the team, … I am so grateful for this team and to be a part of something as special as this."
John Decker (21st in 1:13:09.5), junior Skylar Waechter (23rd in 1:14:42), and sophomore Brady Schwartz (25th in 1:15:22) also finished in the top half of the field of 50 male collegiate triathletes.
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Lady Flames freshman Kalina Flick (15th) was edged by Navy's Isabel Mesa in a sprint finish.Complete results are available online.
"We are so blessed and thankful for a great team, coaching staff and support from Club Sports and Liberty University," Gollnick said. "God is good!"
Many of Liberty's team members athletes wrote Isaiah 40:31 on their arm to honor late teammate Josiah Fowler, who died after being hit by a car while on a cycling training ride near Lynchburg at the end of his sophomore year in May.
That verse, which reads, "But those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint," is the team's theme for the season.
"We have a young team this year so we are looking forward to building and growing as we continue looking towards (USA Triathlon) Nationals in the spring," Gollnick said of the April 13-14 championship races in Mission Viejo, Calif. "We look forward to an exciting year and the opportunity to share our faith and be role models on the course."
The Flames had four triathletes in the top 10, including freshmen brothers Alex and Brandon Schimmel, and seven in the top 25.
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