In a day that consisted of 90-degree sweltering heat, flat tires, exhaustion and athletes who competed with all their heart, the Oregon Club Sports triathlon team finished strong in the May 4-6 Wildflower Triathlon at San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The event marked the Collegiate National Championships for the Ducks, which is what they train for all season. It’s the second largest triathlon in the world.
“Being amongst 5,000 other triathletes in such a high energy atmosphere is exhilarating and humbling,” said Oregon coordinator Jay Williams, who finished 108th among the collegiate men.
In a rigorous course amid the heat, all the Ducks finished the 1,500-meter swim, the 40-kilometer bike ride and the 10-kilometer run.
For the men triathletes, Corey Dow was first to finish among his teammates and finished 58th overall in a time of 2:27:26, while Ignacio Rodriguez came in second for the Ducks at 84th-place in 2:31:19.
On the women’s side, the first Duck to finish was sophomore Terry Legg, placing 37th among the collegiate women with a time of 2:52:03. Freshman Lauren Anas was Oregon’s second finisher at 106th-place overall in a time of 3:15:54.
“It was a life-changing experience,” said Anas after her first triathlon. “I do not think I could have gotten through the race without such an awesome team.”
Oregon is rather young this year and for many, this was their first triathlon. Most of the competitors plan to be back on the team next year.
One of the main reasons the sport of triathlon brings these athletes back year after year is because of the unique and gratifying nature of the sport.
“After pounding our hands through the water and hammering our feet down on the pedals, we began thrashing our legs while trying to maintain consciousness and beginning to see what I like to call, the ‘white zone,’” Oregon senior Brad Anderegg said.

Baseball drops two, but advances onward
After a hard-fought weekend at the districts, the Oregon men’s club baseball team is on its way to the regional competition.
The Ducks went 1-2 overall and captured third-place, but Humboldt State couldn’t make regionals, so Oregon was bumped up to second-place and secured the regionals bid.
In game one against Western Washington, the Ducks were victorious. Freshman Sam Jakola hit a triple in the seventh inning to score four runs, leading the way in the 6-3 win. Next up was a game with Humboldt State, where things just didn’t go right for the Ducks as they lost 11-1.
The Ducks played Western again in their third game and they looked strong through six innings, leading by four. However, because of crucial errors, Oregon dropped a tough one and finished 11-9.
“We need to eliminate defensive errors,” Oregon coach Kurt Langworthy said. “We played exceptional at times and poorly at others.”
Outstanding Duck performers included second baseman Kerry Jenkins, who went 3-for-3 in the third game, and first baseman Micah Bodner, who hit well all weekend. Pitcher Regan Schaller picked up Oregon’s lone victory and went 4-for-7 at the plate overall.
The Ducks begin regional play in Spokane this weekend where they will face Boise State in their opening game on Saturday .
“[We need] to keep our offense ignited and force our opponents to make errors,” Langworthy said.