CLERMONT, FL - Head Coach Harley Mason and the Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Triathlon team finished in second at this year's National Championships, falling just short of the heralded three-peat. Despite falling short, the Bears continue to show why they are one of the most dominant forces in the world of DII Triathlon, as they have finished in the top-three at all four national championships they have been to. 

"It's been an incredible season, and such a fun team to coach," said head coach Harley Mason. "They have overcome so many obstacles together, from hurricanes, to broken bones, to new race formats, and they never for a minute lost their positive attitudes. No matter what was thrown at them, this team never lost their motivation or drive to compete at the highest level. Their dedication to the team and sport impresses me every day."

Winning the competition this year was Wingate, who narrowly edged out the Bears with a final score of 742, just five points ahead of LR's 737. The rest of the top five consisted of Drury (648), Colorado Mesa (582), and Cal Poly Humbolt (524). Taking home the individual title was Wingate's Carla Larrabeiti, who came through the line with a time of 1:00:45.  

Leading the way for the Bears were Sabrina Fleig and Zoila Sicilia, who finished second and third in DII, respectfully. Fleig was strong all around, finishing third in the swim (9:57), seventh in the bike (30:37), and third in the 5k run (19:06) for a final time of 1:01:22. Her finish put her in 24th place out of 195 total competitors, including DI, DII, and DIII. Sicilia made her mark on the bike, as she was the No. 1 DII competitor with a time of 30:14, good four fourth in the entire competition. She closed with a 19:46 5k for a final time of 1:02:03, placing third in DII and 38th overall. 

Battling injuries but still finishing strong was Claudia Teran-Romagosa. She improved on her eighth place finish from last year by coming in seventh with a final time of 1:03:29. Her 10:06 swim time was the fifth fastest in DII. Coming up clutch from the B wave was freshman Isis Gaskin, who exceeded expectations, finishing in 11th with a time of 1:04:19. Rounding out the scoring for the Bears was Eliska Rihova, who's 1:05:00 mark put her in 13th. 

FINAL RESULTS
2) Sabrina Fleig - 1:01:22
3) Zoila Sicilia - 1:02:03
7) Claudia Teran-Romagosa - 1:03:29
11) Isis Gaskin - 1:04:19
13) Eliska Rihova - 1:05:00
16) Alessandra Maso - 1:05:07
23) Maidi Quezada-O'Connor - 1:07:16

"I'm extremely proud of everything this group put into this season and they way they raced at nationals. I'm already excited for next year and to show what we are capable of."