Isaacson Leads Bearcats in 60-55 Win over Cal Poly Humboldt at Best in the West

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

FOSTER, Ore. -- Ella Isaacson (Jr., Saint Paul, MN/Central HS) was the top collegiate finisher in the Women's Sprint Triathlon as she led Willamette University to a 60-55 win over Cal Poly Humboldt at the Best in the West Triathlon Festival on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Lewis Creek Park. Isaacson topped a 1-2-5-8-9 finish for the Bearcats.

Isaacson's winning time between the Bearcats and the Lumberjacks was 1:14:12. She was soon followed by teammate Riga Grubis (Fy., Fairbanks, AK/West Valley HS), who placed second in 1:14:35. Veronica Castille (Jr., Round Rock, TX/Cedar Ridge HS) was fifth among collegiate triathletes at 1:15:59. Completing Willamette's top five list were Natalie Thomas (Fy., Jensen Beach, FL/American Cooperative School of Tunis) in eighth place at 1:21:30 and Abbey Staniec (So., Stockton, CA/Lincoln HS) in ninth place at 1:21:50.

The Bearcats avenged a 71-64 loss to the Lumberjacks in the Splash and Dash at Willamette on Sept. 3. Willamette's next competition will be at the Milliken Splash and Dash in Decatur, Illinois, on Friday, Sept. 22. The Bearcats also will compete in the Millikin Invitational hosted by Millikin University on Saturday, Sept. 23 in Decatur.

In Sunday's rematch with Humboldt, Isaacson completed the 500-meter swim in 7:38, the 20-kilometer bike in 39:29, and the 5-kilometer run in 24:45. Grubis was timed at 8:57 in the swim, finished the bike in 41:28, and registered a time of 20:44 in the run. Castille provided Willamette with times of 7:33 in the swim, 40:15 in the bike, and 25:26 for the run.

Thomas and Staniec were separated by just twenty seconds overall. Thomas compiled times of 8:25 in the run, 42:46 in the bike, and 27:13 in the run. Staniec's times were 7:42 for the swim, followed by 43:18 in the bike, and 28:05 in the run.

Humboldt was led by Eve Wendley, who placed third against the Bearcats with a time of 1:14:49. Elizabeth Odell took fourth place at 1:15:52 and Alexa Blakey was sixth at 1:18:52. Mariska Kessler earned seventh place at 1:19:58, while Camille Shaver placed 10th at 1:22:08.

Also competing for Willamette were Maya Ryley (Fy., Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS), Paulina Pioszak (Fy., Boulder, CO/Boulder HS), Alessandra Armenta-Lopez (So., Portland, OR/Gladstone HS) and Lana Gouin-Hart (Fy., Grandville, MI/Jenison HS). Ryley achieved a time of 1:26:17. Pioszak crossed the finish line in 1:28:46 and Armenta-Lopez was timed at 1:46.47. Gouin-Hart competed in the swim and the bike.

Willamette placed five triathletes among the top 20 finishers in the overall Women's Sprint Triathlon standings, which included 134 entries. Isaacson was fifth overall, with Grubis in fourth, and Castille in 10th. Thomas placed 19th overall and Staniec was 20th.