CLINTON, ILL. — Fresh from a weekend off, the Central Collegewomen's triathlon team was back in full force, taking on a stacked lineup of Division I, II, and III athletes at the Prairie State Cup in DeWitt, Illinois.
           
One hundred and twenty-seven athletes traveled to compete in the race, which took place in the hometown of sophomore Addie Koritz (sophomore, Clinton, Ill.) at Clinton Lake. 
           
The full-distance race challenged competitors with a 750-meter swim, a 12-mile bike, and a 3.2-mile run (5k). All eight of Central's athletes raced in the second wave and found great success amongst their competitors. The event was extremely well-attended by Central supporters, whose encouragement helped the women bring their best to the course. 
           
The combined efforts of the top five finishers resulted in a great day for the team, with Central securing third place overall in the Division III field! 
           
Luci Laidlaw (senior, Pella) had a standout performance, breaking the banner for the second wave as the first-place finisher with a total time of 1 hour, 10 minutes and 40 seconds. This impressive result placed her 37th across both waves of racing. Close behind Laidlaw was Koritz who placed 44th overall with a time of 1:12:43. Koritz especially cherished the environment, noting, "Nothing beats competing at home! To have all those special people out there was the best support system I could ask for." 
           
The final three scorers for the Dutch rounded out a strong team effort. Grace Benson (senior, Newton) followed in 56th with a time of 1:17:25, and she was joined by Katelyn Freeman (senior, Castle Rock, Colo., Castle View HS) finishing in 1:20:21. The fifth scorer of the day, Estella Allen (sophomore, Newton), posted a time of 1:24:19. Allen described the day's conditions and atmosphere: "It was an awesome environment and a speedy course. It was a great day for a fast race!" 
           
Following the five scoring athletes, the team was represented by Georgia Havlicek (junior, Solon) in 1:30:41, Sara Sienkiewicz (senior, Plainfield, Ill., Neuqua Valley HS) in 1:35:19, and Aubrey Peterson (freshman, Coon Valley, Wis., Cashton HS) who did not finish the race. 
           
Central will compete in the Collegiate West Regional Championship in Fort Worth, Texas on Sunday, October 26.  
 
For full race results from today's competition, go here: https://results.raceroster.com/v3/events/k7dtk2usnqvcm6j5/race/242366?filter_search=  
 
Central finishers:  
37th - Luci Laidlaw, 1:10:40 
44th- Addie Koritz, 1:12:43 
56th - Grace Benson, 1:17:25 
67th - Katelyn Freeman, 1:20:21 
80th – Estella Allen, 1:24:19 
93rd - Georgia Havlicek, 1:30:41 
100th - Sara Sienkiewicz, 1:35:19 
DNF – Aubrey Peterson