Bettin Defends Draft-Legal and Olympic-Distance Titles at Collegiate Club Nationals

CU Boulder Takes Third in Team Competition

LAKE LANIER, Georgia — More than 1,200 student-athletes from 80 collegiate clubs across the country competed at the 2023 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships April 14-16 in Lake Lanier, Georgia.

The University of Colorado-Boulder’s Benedict Bettin was the individual star of the weekend, winning national titles in both the Draft-Legal and Olympic-distance National Championships for the second consecutive year.

Bettin won the Olympic-distance title on Saturday, covering the 1,500m swim, 41k bike and 10k run course in a time of 1:50:14, over a minute ahead of Queen’s Dominguez (1:51:40). The title is the fourth of Bettin’s career, and came a day after he won the Draft-Legal title.

Athletes in the Draft-Legal event completed a sprint-distance, 750-meter swim, 21-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run course. The draft-legal racing format, which enables athletes to ride in packs and work together on the bike, is similar to the racing style contested in elite World Triathlon events and the Olympic Games.

Bettin secured the Draft-Legal national title by completing the course in 56:33, comfortably ahead of Queens teammates, Baugher (57:22) and Niall Caley (57:41).

“Today was just super fun. The crowds are amazing at Collegiate Club Nationals. There are always so many people cheering along the course. I definitely felt like I had 50 more watts of power on the bike when riding by the huge crowds,” Bettin said.

Rollie Grinder of the University of Arizona earned the women’s Draft-Legal crown, her first Collegiate Club national championship, in a time of 1:03:24, ahead of Cal’s Kennedy (1:04:00).

The U.S. Naval Academy’s Eli Walz earned their first national title in Saturday’s Olympic-distance Championships, turning in a strong performance on the bike to complete the course in a time 2:05:30. Grinder placed second in 2:06:50, while Kennedy took third in 2:07:31.

2023 Collegiate Nationals Winner Benedict Bettin crosses the finish line (USA Triathlon).

For the second consecutive year, Queens University of Charlotte earned the overall team title, with strong performances from the club’s women’s and men’s teams to score a leading 102 points. With back-to-back national team titles, Queens continues its run of recent success at Collegiate Club Nationals. The Royals also won the overall team title in 2019.

“This team is a family, and families have traditions! Winning for us is a tradition that none of us take for granted, but hope to continue every year,” the Queens team said in a collective statement.

Fellow Collegiate Club Nationals perennial powers, University of California-Berkeley (162 points) and University of Colorado-Boulder (241), placed second and third, respectively, in the overall team standings. The Buffaloes also took third in the men’s team competition and third in the women’s team competition.

Overall Club Standings

1. Queens University of Charlotte 102 points
2. University of California-Berkeley 162
3. University of Colorado-Boulder 241
4. United States Naval Academy 308
5. Colorado State University 492

Women’s Club Standings
1. University of California-Berkeley 56
2. Queens University of Charlotte 72
3. University of Colorado-Boulder 73
4. United States Naval Academy 100
5. West Point 191

Men’s Club Standings
1. Queens University of Charlotte 24
2. Wingate University 47
3. University of Colorado-Boulder 66
4. University of California-Berkeley 105
5. Colorado State University 134

Draft-Legal Collegiate Championships

750m swim, 21k bike, 5k run

Men – Complete Results
1. Ben Bettin (University of Colorado-Boulder), 56:33
2. Jake Baugher (Queens University of Charlotte), 57:22
3. Niall Caley (Queens University of Charlotte), 57:41
4. Jonathan McKinley (University of California-Berkeley), 57:46
5. Luis Steiert (Wingate University), 58:05

Women – Complete Results
1. Rollie Grinder (University of Arizona), 1:03:24
2. Kathyrn Kennedy (University of California-Berkely), 1:04:00
3. Katharina Krosta (Queens University of Charlotte), 1:04:31
4. Eli Walz (United States Naval Academy), 1:05:02
5. Alexandra Poole (Duke University), 1:05:48

Olympic-Distance Collegiate Championships

1,500m swim, 41k bike, 10k run

Men —Complete Results
1. Ben Bettin (University of Colorado-Boulder), 1:50:14
2. Alejandro Dominguez (Queens University of Charlotte), 1:51:40
3. Luis Steiert (Wingate University), 1:52:38
4. Niall Caley (Queens University of Charlotte), 1:53:13
5. Jake Baugher (Queens University of Charlotte), 1:53:23

Women — Complete Results
1. Eli Walz (United States Naval Academy), 2:05:30
2. Rollie Grinder (University of Arizona), 2:06:50
3. Kathryn Kennedy (University of California-Berkeley), 2:07:31
4. Paige Kouba (University of California-Davis), 2:10:29
5. Emma MacDonald (West Point Triathlon Club), 2:10:35

Mixed Relay Collegiate Championships

250m swim, 5k bike, 1.2k run (x4) — Complete Results

1. University of California-Berkeley (1:03:51)
2. Queens University of Charlotte (1:04:01)
3. United States Naval Academy (1:04:08)
4. Colorado State University (1:07:58)
5. Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo (1:09:49)

History of the University of Colorado Triathlon Team at Collegiate Nationals

2023: 3rd place (Coaches Brad Seng, Dave Sheanin)
2022: 2nd place (Coaches Brad Seng, Dave Sheanin)
2021: rescheduled for fall — didn’t compete
2020: cancelled due to pandemic
2019: 3rd place (Coaches Brad Seng, Dave Sheanin)
2018: 2nd place (Coaches Brad Seng, Dave Sheanin)
2017: National Champions (Coach Brad Seng)
2016: National Champions (Coach Brad Seng)
2015: National Champions (Coach Brad Seng)
2014: National Champions (Coach Dave Sheanin)
2013: National Champions (Coach Mike Ricci)
2012: National Champions (Coach Mike Ricci)
2011: National Champions (Coach Mike Ricci)
2010: National Champions (Coach Mike Ricci)
2009: 3rd Place (Coach Mike Ricci)
2008: 2nd Place (Coach Kirk Nelson)
2007: 3rd place (Coach Kirk Nelson)
2006: 3rd Place (student coaches)
2005: National Champions (student coaches)
2004: National Champions (Coach Matt Eagan)
2003: National Champions (Coach Ryan Ignatz)
2002: National Champions (Coach Bettina Younge)
2001: 2nd place (Coach Bettina Younge)
2000: National Champions (Coach Neal Henderson)
1999: National Champions (Coach Neal Henderson)
1998: National Champions (Coach Rick Ellison)
1997: National Champions (Coach Rick Ellison)
1996: National Champions (Coach Rick Ellison)
1995: 2nd place (Coach Rick Ellison)
1994: National Champions (student coaches)

Individual Champions

2023: Benedikt Bettin (Olympic distance); Benedikt Bettin (Draft-legal sprint)
2022: Benedikt Bettin (Olympic distance); Benedikt Bettin (Draft-legal sprint)
2017: Nick Noone (Olympic distance); Dan Feeney, Erica Hawley (Draft-legal sprint)
2016: Brittany Warly (Draft-legal sprint)
2015: Rudy Von Berg, Rachael Lenz
2014: Rudy Von Berg
2013: Michelle Mehnert
2011: Karl “Rudy” Kahsar
2009: Jessica Broderick
2002: Sara Tarkington
2000: Beth Anderson
1999: Teri Duthie, Nick Cady
1993: Danelle Ballengee