November 12 in Tempe, AZ, the NCC women’s triathlon team won their fifth national title at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships.
This victory should come as no shock, considering the teams’ aspirations from earlier this year.
“We know where we want to be at the end of the year, and the culture that we need to get there as a team. We have the ultimate goal of winning Nationals this year and trust that we will get there by taking care of the little things,” saud Head coach Tyler Woodward this past September.
Reviewing the past and bringing it back to current times, it is great to see such a huge accomplishment come to fruition.
Podium of Cardinals
Hailey Poe, ’25, is a dominant athlete on the Cardinals triathlon team, winning this year’s individual national championship victory. This is the third individual win for Poe at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships.
Poe won her freshman year with a time of 1:12:01.5 and has since then shaved down her time to 1:09:27.9. Poe has made great strides for improvement which has earned her multiple victories.
The NCC Cardinals filled this National podium: Poe in first place, Charlotte Kumler, ’25, taking second with a time of 1:11:42 and Bethany Smeed, ’26, finishing third with a time of 1:12:08.
Unsurprisingly, the fifth triathlete to cross the finish line was a Cardinal as well. Scarlett Schuth, ’25, finished with a time of 1:13:51.2, following closely behind her teammate, Bethany Smeed.
Taylin Lemke, ’25, became the final scorer for the Cardinals with a time of 1:18:58.9. She placed eleventh for NCC, improving greatly from last season. In 2022, Lemke finished twenty-seventh at 1:21:55.4. The junior has improved tremendously, surpassing the competition.
Improvements to accomplishments
The improvements, hard work and remaining focus became key for the reigning National Champions.
In September, Schuth answered the question of how she remains focused when competing in a three-sport competition.
“Focus has never been a problem for me in any aspect of my life. If anything, I get too caught up,” said the junior.
This strong focus from one of NCC’s best athletes on campus carries over to her performances on race day, and it shows.
“I remain focused on the current discipline during a race. During the bike, I do not think about how I will have to run a 5k. I think about the skill I am executing, doing it well and doing it fast,” said Schuth.
This showed in Schuth’s time and determination to finish the race alongside her teammates.
Team victories
The Cardinals scored a total of 623 points, sweeping the competition. Trine University came in second with 421 points. Eastern Mennonite University accumulated 407 points, coming in at third at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships.
Congratulations to NCC’s women’s triathlon team on winning their fifth national title!
