Triathletes defend national title
ZELIENOPLE — Get Fit Families’ youth triathlon team recently completed another busy summer of travel and competition.
And as usual, it was worth it.
Get Fit Families — based out of Zelienople — sent 60 athletes from its youth and junior triathlon team to West Chester, Ohio, recently for the USA Triathlon Zone 3 Youth and Junior National Championships. GFF won the age group national championship last year and repeated that honor this time around.
GFF had 22 athletes compete in the Youth and Junior Draft-Legal Development Races. The organization had 38 athletes ages 18 and younger compete in the non-qualifying age group races that won the national crown.
“We had 65 kids in the program this year,” said GFF coach and director Joella Baker. “Our numbers were down to 45 or so during the COVID year, but they’ve since bounced back.”
In the non-qualifying age group races, athletes can race for their teams, but do not have to travel to qualify for nationals. Three such GFF triathletes won individual national titles: Dylan Thompson, 10, of Wexford; Eliza Miller, 16, of Apollo; and Thomas Pichieri, 16, of Cranberry Township.
L. Harcar of Butler was second in the first-ever Non-Binary category. Six other athletes made the podium as well.
“Having three individual champions and so many people on the podium this year was really good for us,” Baker said.
Two weekends ago, six more GFF athletes made the podium — finishing among the top 10 in their respective age groups and competitions — at the USA Triathlon Toyota Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee. Owen Schessler of Cranberry Township had the best finish among the group, placing fifth.
Julia Zalenski of Mars placed sixth, Zac Baker of Harmony seventh, Sam West of Zelienople ninth, Alex Urling of Gibsonia and Alexandra Gongas of Mars 10th. Schessler and Baker competed in the Olympic Triathlon, the others in the Sunday Sprint/Super Sprint Races.
All six qualified for the Triathlon World Championships in Hamburg, Germany, July 13-16 of 2023.
“We’re not sure if we’re going to make that trip at this point,” Coach Baker said. “Obviously, that’s a long way and a lot of expenses are involved. All six have reserved their spots, however. They still have a window where they can opt out.
“Everyone finances their own trips in our organization. We do have a fund set up to assist some, but this can be an expensive sport with all of the equipment involved.”
A triathlon involves bicycling, swimming and running.
GFF’s travel schedule this year included trips to Clermont and Sarasota in Florida, Richmond (Va.), Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio. The competitions were all on weekends.
GFF has a couple of local triathlon events slated in September — at Bradys Run in Beaver County Sept. 10 and the Mighty Moraine Man at Moraine State Park Sept. 17-18.
