Romy Wolstencroft, QUT with a podium result. Photo: QUT Sport
On March 17, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) emerged victorious at the UniSport Australia (UniSport) Nationals Triathlon with brilliant performances in both the men’s and women’s events. The championship was held as part of the Mooloolaba Triathlon Festival on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and saw students from around the country compete against each other in the individual Olympic distance.
Altogether, 74 students from 24 universities around Australia competed in the triathlon with The University of Queensland (UQ) having the highest representation with 15 athletes. Despite UQ’s numerical advantage, the day belonged to QUT.
Romy Wolstencroft (Bachelor of Engineering), led the charge for QUT with a time of 2:05.35 to clinch first place in the women’s race ahead of Matilda Offord from Western Sydney University, and Hailey Mason from Flinders University in third.
In the men’s event, Charlie Quin, (Bachelor of Commerce) Bond University, finished first with a fantastic time of 01:53.14. Yoann Colin from The Australian National University (ANU) finished a close second, just three minutes behind Quin, with Keegan Jenkins from QUT rounding out the podium two minutes later.
The two podium finishes have propelled QUT to the top of both the men’s and women’s overall university rankings for triathlon, sending a message to the other universities about the strength of QUT this year.
Tom Fisher, Sports Officer at QUT Sport, praised the efforts of the team and the dedication and hard work they had shown.
“This is an excellent result for the students who represented QUT Sport at the Mooloolaba Triathlon. It is a testament to the elite athletes who medalled, showcasing the endless work they put into their sport,” Tom said.
Tom stated that QUT hope to go into Nationals Div 1 with momentum.
“We aim to head into Nationals Div 1 week in September with at least one pennant from the standalone championships under our belt, with a top five finish in our sights,” he said.
UniSport CEO Mark Sinderberry is excited that the 2019 Nationals campaign is off to a great start.
“We have seen some excellent performances at Nationals Triathlon, which is testament to not only the elite student-athletes who train tirelessly in their sport whilst also balancing an education, but also to the number of recreational student-athletes challenging themselves in the sporting arena,” Mark said.
The 2019 Nationals continues with Nationals Athletics taking place 11-14 April at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre, New South Wales.
For full triathlon results, head to unisport.com.au/triathlon-div1.
For more information, please contact:
Sport and Operations Manager – Nationals Championships
P 07 5699 8227