What the Buck
Post date: Sep 22, 2010 8:30:15 PM
Buckman Sprint Triathlon Summary
By: Aaron Perelman
The sun peaked over the tree tops and bathed the vast, serene lake in a reflective glow. A light mist clung to water’s surface, as dawn appeared. The morning belonged to the Buckman triathletes. The Buckman Sprint Triathlon, held in Lebanon, New Jersey, set the stage for the first sprint triathlon of the Stevens Triathlon Club’s season. A record 15 Stevens triathletes joined the field of 51 collegiate racers in the 0.5 mile swim, 17 mile bike, and 5 K run.
In typical dominant Stevens fashion, 6 of the top 8 swimmers out of the water were Stevens racers. After the swim, Nicholas Walulik donned his helmet, mounted his bike, and set off to complete the second fastest bike of the day. Nick’s steely nerves and perfect pacing yielded a 4th place overall finish with a time of 1:22:23. Following Nick; Matt Smith, Luke Niezelski, Aaron Williams, and Will Gerboth showed the meaning of teamwork by pulling each other to 7th, 8th, 10th, and 11th place finishes respectively. Rounding out the men’s collegiate triathletes, Aaron Perelman (13th place), Isaac Spingarn (16th), and Orlando Martinez (21st) scored valuable points for the team.
What can be said about Amanda Nauman that hasn’t been said about a lion; she’s fast, she’s dominant, and she eats opposing triathletes for breakfast. Amanda finished 1st in the female collegiate division with a time of 1:26:43, giving her victories in 2 of the 3 triathlons she has competed in this season. Gabrielle Czernik’s unstoppable motor landed her next to Amanda on the winner’s podium placing 5th in the female division. Other female finishers included Jamie Brabston, who through sheer grit and determination fought through a crippling leg injury to still finish 10th among the females. Nicole Ogrosso, chomping at Jamie’s heels, came in 12th. Kate Crane, competing in her first triathlon of the season finished 23rd. Kim McCaffrey survived a devastating crash, which splintered her bike and sent a shockwave through the triathlon community, but in emblematic Kim style, she is patched up and ready to attack her next triathlon.