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Theleen Competes in USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship
As Reported on Keeneowls.com |
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| Apr 30, 2010 |
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He was the only Keene State College competitor in the field, but that didn't stop Dan Theleen (Coached by LifeSport's Chris Thomas) from representing his school proudly at the 2010 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships that took place this past weekend in Lubbock, Texas.
A junior from Southbury, Conn., Theleen finished a very respectable 29th in the undergraduate division and 35th overall in a field comprised of 510 competitors from 82 collegiate club programs from around the country.
"It was a great experience. I loved it and I loved representing Keene State, said Theleen, who was the top finisher among Division II-III competitors.
The conditions were far from ideal for the triathlon that was to include a one mile swim, 25 mile bike ride, and 10K run. However, the unseasonably cold and nasty weather turned out be a bad break for Theleen. Due to cold 54 degree water temperatures, the swim portion of the race was cut from 1,500-meters to less than a half mile, preventing him from taking full advantage of his strongest event.
The 40 degree air temperature with winds gusting in the 20s to 30s also led to some very difficult biking conditions. "It was the worst conditions I've ever had to face in a triathlon," said Theleen. "The biking was really a challenge. With the strong head and cross winds, it was like riding in a storm."
A former member of the KSC swim squad and current member of the Owl track team, Theleen formed the Keene State Triathlon Club last semester. Collegiate triathlon clubs are springing up all around the country and are very popular down south and out west. Because the KSC club was new and the cost was prohibitive, Theleen decided to go it alone and subsidize his trip to Texas for the national competition.
Theleen, who began seriously competing in triathlons last summer, has made tremendous progress. Last year, he was ranked 172nd out of 1,129 athletes registered with the USA Triathlon Association in the 20-24 age group.
Now training year-round, Theleen is confident that his ranking will continue to climb and he has a real good shot of earning All-America honors in 2010. He also hopes to qualify for the 2010 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship next September in Alabama and ultimately earn a spot on the 2011 Olympic Distance World Triathlon Championship in Beijing, China.
In the meantime, Theleen will concentrate his efforts a little closer to home. "My plan is to find a serious core of athletes who want to be a part of the club program at Keene State," he said. "It was nice representing the school this weekend, but it would be great to see more people wearing the Keene State logo at next year's championship."
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