The Auburn Triathletes placed 22nd Saturday after battling inclement weather at the National Triathlon Meet at Buffalo Springs Lake in Lubbock, Texas.
This was the third year the triathletes competed in the Collegiate National Championship.
The race consisted of a 10-kilometer run, a 25-mile bike and a 750-meter swim.
"This was my second triathlon ever," said Robert Bedsole, graduate student in mechanical engineering. "You learn a lot every time you do it."
Bedsole said the swim was shortened because of the temperature of the water, in addition to the windy conditions they had to battle during the other portions of the race.
"The water was really cold," said sophomore Matthew Manley. "I competed in the short-course race, so they canceled our swim. We did just a bike and run."
Manley said the water was about 54 degrees, the outside felt like high 40s and the wind was blowing on the bike.
Bedsole finished 106th out of 456 competitors with a time of 2:07.
"My favorite part was finishing," Bedsole said. "Also, not getting blown over on my bike with the 19 mile per hour crosswinds was tough."
Samantha Clark, senior, placed 23rd, the highest in the female division of the race for Auburn.
Clark said the toughest part of the race for her was the running because of an injury she suffered earlier in the season.
"It was OK," Clark said. "I've had a stress fracture. My bike was good, but my running was slow."
Clark said she trains weekly by swimming three days a week and biking four times a week.
She started to run 20 minutes a day to be ready to compete in the run after her injury.
Before traveling to Texas, senior James Hornady said he expected everyone to show good times, but for Clark to stand out.
"A triathlon is one of those things where you don't know how you're going to perform until you finish the race," Hornady said.
Nathan Roberson, who Hornady predicted would have a good race beforehand, finished 104th and first for the Auburn team.
"There are over 100 colleges that attend the meet," Hornady said. "They range from different military academies to USC."
Bedsole said the team's 22nd finish was better than last years.'
"I wasn't on the team last year," Manley said. "I think they placed 43rd last year, so that is a great improvement in the team's performance."
Manley said two of the teams seven male members were not able to finish.
"What's special about the Auburn team is that it's completely student organized," Hornady said. "It's just a good organization to keep us going."
The club was started in 1983 and was one of the first collegiate racing clubs in the country, according to the teams website.
The Auburn Triathletes returned to campus in 2007.
In two years, the club has grown from 12 members to 38 members.
The triathletes plan to compete in the Memphis in May triathlon May 16 and the West Point Lake triathlon June 12.
For more information visit the group's website, auburn.edu/triathletes.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
