Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

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by Karen Allen For race participants, the Little Apple Triathlon is a challenging test of dedication, endurance and skill. 10 Triathlon

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125th Anniversary. Elections Homecoming State Fair Landon Lectures Pillsbury Crossing out in purple, Nick Hulsing, freshman in administration, cheers the Wildcat foo ill team during their Homecoming game the University of Oklahoma. (Photo by Gary Lytle) 9 Student Life Division

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Little Apple Triathlon tested the endurance of over 150 athletes at Tuttle Creek State Park last fall. The triathlon, an annual communi- ty event sponsored by KSU Recrea- tional Services, consisted of a swim, a 10.5-mile bike ride and a 1.3-mile run. Race participants had to be 14 years old to enter and then competed in categories based on age. The oldest division was over 50, and this year two Participants in the Little Apple Triathlon get a quick drink of water while running up the path from the swimming stage to the bicycling stage. (Photo by Gary Lytle) Little Apple Triathlon participant Larry Mah slides his shirt on over his helmet while getting ready for the bicycling portion of the race. Mah finished the race — which took place at Tuttle Creek Reservoir — 10th in his division. (Photo by Chris Assaf) men and one woman finished in that division. The 1987 Little Apple Triathlon affected participants differently. For some, the race was easy. Talking and laughing among themselves, some participants jogged the last three miles of the course. For others, the race was a serious test of endurance and a challenge to the finish. And for a few, the race proved to be too much, as 37 contestants withdrew before finishing. Michael York, Topeka, successfully completed the course in less than an hour to win the men ' s overall divison. York, who was competing in his seventh triathlon of the summer, in 53:00.01 minutes. Jim junior in veterinary medicine, finished 2:12 behind York to capture second place. The competition gets better every year, Nelson said. I competed last year, and this year I was trying to win. Although he did not win, Nelson said he improved his time. Paula Smith, Topeka, won the women ' s overall division with a time of 1:05.14. Second place went to Lynn Biggs, Kansas City, who missed first place by 31 seconds and crossed the finish line in 1:05.45. Third place went to Diane Compton, Wichita, who Bradley Fagan, senior in business nears the end of the bicycling stretch in the Little Apple Triathlon. Fagan finished 13th in his 25-29 age group. (Photo by Jim Dietz) finished in 1:08.38. While most participants competed individually, some chose to enter as a team. The teams consisted of three members, and each member in one leg of the course. Both the men ' s and women ' s in this category were based on the combined ages of the team 100 and younger or 100 and older. Three K-State students captured the men ' s 100 and younger title for the second consecutive year with a time of 55.20. Martin Dannatt, senior in competed in the swim, Rob Wilkerson, senior in engineering, handled the cycling, and Mark senior in nuclear engineering, participated in the run. The trio is already making plans for the 1988 triathlon. We had to come out to prove the fact that we could do it (win) again. We will probably do it again next year, Dannatt said. Local competitors believed the sport was here to stay. The sport has proven itself, said. I continue to look for new challenges, and the sport continues to offer them. Most everyone I know that competes likes the action. It is a fast-moving event, and even if you get injured in one area, you don ' t have to completely give up training. Training in different areas really makes for a well-rounded athlete. 11