DENVER – Freshman
Jenna Topott was powering through with a tired and sore body in the final leg of the Prairie State Cup triathlon, but she gained a mental energy boost each time she passed a competitor on the 5-kilometer run toward the finish line.
"I could lean into the pain since I was already in pain," Topott said. "It was a good feeling whenever I was running people down."
The Denver Pioneers women's triathlon team has been building on its training since August with a goal of performing at its peak in late October for regionals and early November at the national championship. The squad didn't taper much going into its third and final regular-season race on Oct. 4 at Clinton Lake State Recreation Area in De Witt, Illinois, but any fatigue didn't seem to show for the Pioneers.
Senior
Elizabeth Harita came in fifth and freshman
Lucrezia Gowdy placed 16th at the Prairie State Cup, but Denver was led on the day by Topott. The rookie from Allen, Texas, won the initial A-wave and finished third overall for her first career podium in 1:03:35.
Only two Drury University racer were faster, as Eszter Vas (1:02:33) and Alexis Workman (1:03:16) led a speedy B-wave to claim the top two steps of the stage.
"I was fairly confident in the way I performed," Topott said recently to DenverPioneers.com. "I just put it all out there and waited to see what happened. I knew I had a good day, and if other people had a better day, that's OK too."
Topott was part of a large pack out of the water and the group stayed that way for most of the 20-kilometer bike. When it came time for the run, she used her training and time at altitude to attack the course.
"Once I hit transition, I knew what I needed to do," she recalled of her mindset going into the run. "There were three people off the lead pack that I knew I had to run down, and I had my eye on that goal.
"It was definitely a strong finish. It was fun to be on a flat course again. The last two races we were at were pretty hilly. I just felt really strong on the run."
Topott's third-place result was the first podium of the season for the Pioneers, and the overall team performance should give the squad additional confidence heading into the postseason that begins Sunday at the Western Regional Championship in Fort Worth, Texas.
"We definitely have been building into it, and I felt really good this last race," Topott noted of his year's training. "I felt strong, but I knew there was a next step that I can take for the next race. I can push a little harder with the fitness I'm gaining right now. I'm going to be so ready to be back in my hometown for regionals."
This next race is one that Topott has circled on her calendar since the start season. Allen is near Fort Worth in the "Metroplex," and there will be plenty of family, friends, teammates from her club Playtri and her dog in attendance.
"I get to see my family, I get to see my dog," Topott said. "I'm excited."
Topott said she is still transitioning to the college lifestyle as a freshman in her first quarter, but she is getting the hang of things both athletically and academically. She is utilizing the academic resources that the DU athletic department provides and is grasping the two-a-day type of trainings with swimming in the morning and running or biking in the afternoon.
The views of the nearby Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver also provide a daily dose of euphoria.
"I love Denver, it's such a great city," Topott said. "I'm always in amazement whenever I'm doing my homework and I look outside at the mountains and see the snow. It's beautiful right now with it being fall and all of the leaves are changing. I love the cool weather."
The 2025 collegiate season concludes with the biggest two races of the year in a two-week period, with the nationals championships set just 13 days after regionals on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Tempe, Arizona.
This is the moment that Topott and the Pioneers have been training for all fall, and they're primed to turn up the heat for the stretch run.
