Sunday, March 21st.

The day of the race dawned overcast, but not too chilly as 23 Triton men and women emerged onto the scene of the UCSB/ Kendra Chiota Payne Memorial Sprint Triathlon. This would be the final performance for the Tritons before the all-important Conference Championships.  

After Checking-in and getting timing chips the team headed over to the wonderfully grassy transition area to set up. Various members could be seen jogging around, checking out the finish line or looking shocked after seeing the monstrous stairway they would have to ascend after the swim, to get back to transition. After set-up it was on with your wetsuit and down to the water’s edge to warm up in the Pacific chill.

As wave number one prepared to start the men jockeyed for the optimal positions under the inflatable arch and waited for the gun to go off. With a bang they were off, running toward the ocean. And the women waited for their turn, just ten minutes later, in wave number two. The swim went well, and the stairway turned out to not be quite as bad as some had thought.

Running to the transition area, grabbing bikes and off again they went. The bike course proved to be super fun with it’s constant changing from roads to bike paths. A mostly flat course, the Tritons did well here and really began to dominate.

Back in transition the team could be seen madly taking off helmets, grabbing race belts, and putting on running shoes. The run course had been advertised as an “oceanfront run along the bluffs of UCSB” and definitely lived up to the hype (Even though there was a sandy cliff to scale near the beginning). The Tritons, upon completing the run, proved that not only are they athletes, but they also are team players.  Many early finishers could be seen cheering-on other team members as they made their approach to the finish line.

Once the race was over, the team waited patiently for the preliminary results, while happily munching on fruit and peanut butter. All-in-all the UC San Diego Tritons made a strong showing with seven men in the top fifteen!  Combined with the depth of the women's team, the Tritons took the 1st place collegiate team title, for both the men’s and women’s categories. Congratulations to all who raced; and watch out for those Tritions!

Article by: Rebecca Monte
Photos: Chris Manuele

Kendra Chiota Payne Memorial Triathlon from Tom Lee on Vimeo.

Full Results