Colorado tops overall teams

The University of Colorado Buffaloes won their 4th straight overall team award and the men’s team award at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Nationals Saturday in Tempe, Arizona. The University of California-Berkeley Golden Bears won the women’s team award and the Elite Triathlon Academy at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs won the Mixed Team Relay.

Colorado won the overall team title, which combines men’s and women’s points, by a razor-thin 2 point margin – 3,926 to 3,924 – over runner-up California-Berkeley. UCLA placed 3rd with 3,727 points.

Colorado, led by Rodolphe Von Berghe’s 4th place individual finish, won the men’s team title with a total of 1,986 points, 60 points better than runner-up California and 89 points more than 3rd place Michigan.

California-Berkeley, led by Erika Erickson’s 2nd place and Christine Jackson’s 4th place individual finishes, won the women’s team title with a total of 1,998 points, 58 points more than runner-up Colorado, which was led by Michelle Mehnert’s women’s individual overall win. The U.S. Military Academy took 3rd place in the women’s team standings with a total of 1,915 points.

The Elite Triathlon Academy at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs won the Mixed-Team Relay, the final event of the Collegiate Nationals weekend held at 4 PM Saturday. Avery Evenson, Luke Farkas, Johanna Gartman and Kevin McDowell combined to finish in 1:06:15, 2 minutes 52 seconds ahead of runner-up California and 3 minutes 50 seconds better than 3rd-place U.S. Naval Academy.

“It was amazing to come out here in this team atmosphere and participate as a team,” Elite Triathlon Academy competitor Kevin McDowell told USA Triathlon media representatives. “That’s not always a triathlon thing… To actually finish as a team and do this altogether when everyone has just as important of a role, it’s just one of the best things you could ask for.”

A total of 1,015 athletes representing 108 schools competed in the Olympic-distance Collegiate National Championship, an event that began at the 1994 Wildflower Triathlon.

Overall Team Standings

1. Colorado – 3,926 points
2. California – 3,924
3. UCLA – 3,727
4. U.S. Naval Academy – 3,710
5. Arizona – 3,604

Women’s Team Standings

1. California – 1,998 points
2. Colorado — 1,940
3. U.S. Military Academy — 1,915
4. UCLA – 1,915
5. U.S. Naval Academy – 1,908

Men’s Team Standings

1. Colorado – 1,986 points
2. California – 1,926
3. Michigan – 1,897
4. Stanford – 1,876
5. Iowa – 1,847

Mixed team Relay

1. University of Colorado – Colorado Springs – 1:06:15
2. California Relay A – 1:09:07
3. U.S. Naval Academy – 1:10:05

Armed Forces Team Champion: U.S. Naval Academy

Team Spirit Award: University of Southern California