USAT Collegiate Nationals
The road to Nationals began the wee hours of the morning on Thursday, April 13. Groggy, but with excitement prevailing, our team arrived at LAX just before 5am. Boarding Spirit Airlines, the team prepared for the five our air-time that was imminent. Stepping off the plane in Georgia, we were greeted with hot, humid Atlanta heat that persisted throughout our stay. On Friday morning, our draft legal athletes Ella and Makenna prepared for battle. Braving the chilly waters of Lake Lanier, they fought ferociously in the intense race of the top 75 female athletes in the nation. The remaining Tritons raced on Saturday, competing in the Olympic distance event. Navigating tight turns and unexpected hills, they participated in a massive field of over 500 athletes per race. On Sunday, the final race of the series, the MTR athletes got ready for the mad dash that lay ahead. MTR stands for mixed team relay and consists of two men and two women per team; representing UCSD were Rahul, Dmitriy, Joan, and Makenna. In a mad dash to the finish, our athletes put the pedal to the metal in the 150 meter swim, 3 mile bike, and 800 meter run. Coming in 14th out of 45 teams, our mighty Tritons made us proud. To celebrate, we held a America's-Got-Talent-worthy dance circle and feasted on the lunch of champions: Champy's World Famous Fried Chicken. Cheers to the finale of our 2022-2023 season!