DENVER – Freya McKinley is a national champion after winning USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals over the weekend in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
 
The University of Denver triathlon sophomore won the female age 15-19 race on Sunday morning in a total time of 34 minutes and 12 seconds. The event was changed from a traditional sprint to a super sprint due to rain and thunderstorms in the forecast.
 
McKinley had the eighth-fastest time following the 385-meter swim, which used a time trial format (5:20). She made up ground out of the first transition and in the first lap of the 10.7-kilometer bike portion, taking the lead heading into the run. The Woodlands, Texas, native posted a time of 17:08 on the bike before wrapping up the super sprint with a 2.5K run in 9:04.
 
It was McKinley's first victory since claiming the women's title at the Oktoberfest Sprint in Longmont, Colorado, last September and her first career national championship. She crossed the finish line 1:08 ahead of second-place finisher Ava Pfaff (35:20).
 
It was a busy weekend of racing for several other Pioneers, as alum Emily Pincus finished fourth in the Olympic Distance at the Age Group National Championships in Milwaukee on Saturday. She recorded a time of 2:20:02 in the age 20-24 nationals that entailed a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.
 
Head coach Barbara Perkins raced closer to home on Saturday morning as she competed in Ironman Boulder 70.3. She finished 12th in her division in a total time of five hours, 16 minutes and 20 second, completing the 1.2-mile swim in 29:44, 56-mile bike in 2:45:08 and the 13.1-mile run in 1:57:10.
 
The Denver Pioneers triathlon team begins its second full season of competition next month at The Southern Hills Triathlon in South Dakota over Labor Day weekend. The full regular-season schedule will be announced later in the week.


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