The NC State Triathlon team took on more than just fellow collegiate racers at the MACTC champs at the Rev3 Half Full Triathlon in Ellicott City, MD on Oct. 7^th, 2012.  With temperatures hovering in the upper 40's at race time, and a steady rain throughout the entire race, the men’s and women’s teams completed a fantastic fall season which culminated in both teams qualifying for the 2013 USAT Collegiate National Championships to be held in Tempe, Ariz. in the spring.

The women’s team came into the race needing to finish seventh or better in order to qualify for as a team.  Things looked bleak after several key athletes were out due to school sponsored events and injuries, but the depth of the team shined through as the women finished in seventh place on Sunday, guaranteeing them a spot in the top seven overall for the conference season.  Coach Brooks Doughtie stated, “We had some girls that really stepped up their game today, and our depth and teamwork was key to finishing strong.  Today was a tough day for some of our athletes, and I was really excited to see everyone step up and finish so well.”  With their seventh place in the MACTC conference championship race they guarantee themselves a team slot at the 2013 USAT Collegiate Nationals.

The men’s team knew coming in it would take a great team effort to pull off a win.  With the one of the men’s top athletes, Benjamin Rachunok, out due to an injury sustained less than one hour before the race, the men finished in fourth, with Navy winning the meet.  With a fourth place finish at the conference championships, N.C. State solidified third place for the 2012 fall MACTC season.  This means that the men’s team gains its first team podium for a season in the team’s history.   Club president Chris Fundanish summed up the season, “My first goal for the team was to send a complete (7 athletes per team) men’s and women’s team to nationals.  The first stage of this has been completed, and we are excited for the future.”  

The offseason training is the next phase for the team, as the team doesn’t race again until the spring of 2013.  Fundanish is looking forward to the team fundraising which will help get the entire team to Tempe in the spring.  He stated, “The NC State Triathlon Team is thankful for all the sponsors and support we have received, and I look forward to working with more sponsors to promote this team and the sport.”  The NC State Triathlon team looks forward to getting more exposure and as the team's top female, Colleen McCarthy put it, “We accomplished some great goals so far, and the future is looking bright for this team.”  

The NC State Triathlon Club aims to promote the sport of triathlon with NCSU students while providing a supportive network for training and racing.  Info on the team can be found at www.ncstatetri.com or email at triathlon-club@ncsu.edu .