JOHNSON CITY, TN - The back-to-back DII National Champions and preseason No. 1 Lenoir-Rhyne Women's Triathlon team returned on Friday, competing in the ETSU Aquathon. Down their top four racers, the Bears still put together a second place finish, falling by just one point to ETSU, who finished in seventh at last year's DI Triathlon Championships. 

ETSU notched 147 points to get the team win, with Lenoir-Rhyne just behind with 146 points. King finished in third with 67 points, while Northern Kentucky scored 64 points to take fourth. Hampton rounded out the field with 45 points. 

With the race featuring a 500-yard swim and 2-mile run, the Bears placed three in the top-four.  Zoila Sicilia finished runner-up in 18:54, Isis Gaskin took third with an 18:59, and Alessandra Maso fourth in 19:02. Rounding out the top-15 were Morgan Barnes in eighth (20:19) and Alex Linden in 12th (21:06). 

The Bears, ranked No. 1 over the likes of Wingate, Colorado Mesa, and Drury, will compete again on Saturday, September 14th at the Davis County Tri Cup in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The very next day, Sunday the 15th, the Bears will head just up the road to Davidson for the Lake Davidson Triathlon, giving fans a good chance to see the reigning champions in action.