“Triathlon is comprised of three different [events]; it’s a multi-sport. You swim and then you bike and run. It’s definitely a little bit difficult, compared to just doing [each event as] an individual,” said freshman triathlete Freya Mckinley (The Woodlands, TX).
This year marks the first full year of women’s triathlon as a varsity sport at DU, the beginning of a legacy and a team that McKinley is proud to be a part of.
“Yeah, this is my first year so the team is also pretty new. It’s practically their first real NCAA season so it’s really cool to not only be a freshman, but kind of beginning on the program with the rest of the girls,” McKinley said. “As a team, I think it’s been a really good start. It’s been eye-opening, especially our first one when we traveled to Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.”
The team had an excellent showing at the Wisconsin triathlon, with the top five finishers scoring for the Crimson and Gold, but for McKinley, it was not the first race she envisioned.
“Personally, the race wasn’t as I planned,” said McKinley. “I had a little bit of a mishap and did crash out [of the race], but I think it was really great for the girls to get out all together and get a race under our belt.”
However, things quickly turned around after an incredible first-place finish by McKinley at the Oktoberfest on Sept. 19th at Union Reservoir. The team performed well against collegiate athletes from across Colorado, once again sweeping the top five places.
“We raced Oktoberfest and everybody had phenomenal races. Everybody enjoyed it, and to get to race locally was a lot of fun,” McKinley said. “I was really happy just to stay upright on my bike for that race and get over the finish line,” said McKinely after achieving a total time of 1:03:28 for running, swimming and biking.
“I was also really proud of the team as a whole because the girls all had great races individually, so to see us all out there enjoying ourselves and all pleased with how we all finished was, I think, better than focusing on my individual results,” McKinely said.
The team has bonded over the shared experience of their first NCAA collegiate season and all the activity that comes with it. McKinely praised the coaching staff for the smooth transition into balancing school and athletics as a student-athlete.
“I would definitely say I was pretty tired, but I think [being] able to come on campus a little earlier and train before we started class really helped,” said McKinley. “I think we’ve gotten better at balancing it. Our coach has really built a good plan, and we’ve worked around training and class times, so I think finding the balance has been pretty good the last couple of weeks.”
The encouragement from the other girls and their coaches has motivated McKinely to continue striving for excellence as a team and as an individual athlete.
“It’s amazing; the girls on the team are so uplifting and working with them, they want to get better as well as keep each other motivated,” said McKinley. “I couldn’t ask for a better coach. Barb [Perkins] is so great, she really makes us work hard but she wants the best for us and she has a plan.”
McKinley and the team are looking forward to a great debut full season as Division I triathletes with the guidance of their new head coach Barbara Perkins and a strong team bond to carry them through. McKinely is confident in many victories to come.
“I would not want to be anywhere but with the DU team,” she said.
The team’s next race is the Smith Mountain National Qualifier on Oct. 16 in Smith Mountain, VA.
