WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The 2025 collegiate triathlon season opened this weekend as Gallaudet University competed in the Patriots Sprint Triathlon, hosted by Kinetic Multisports, here Sunday at the Jamestown Beach Event Park.

Seven Bison represented Gallaudet in the season opener, combining for a strong third-place team finish behind Delaware State University (88 team points) and La Salle University (65). The Bison tallied 41 points and Hampton University was fourth with 18 points at the Patriots Triathlon Festival.

"The entire team had such impressive results, especially from our newest athletes. This week's performance is hopefully a starting point of many improvements to come," said Gallaudet coach Brian Bennett, now in his second season leading the program.

Returning athlete Ashley Corcoran (Broussard, La.) led the way for the Bison with a time of one hour, 34 minutes and 31 seconds (1:34:31). The sophomore's splits were 16 minutes and nine seconds (16:09) for the swim, 44:15 on the bike and 27:55 run. Corcoran recorded the team's fastest bike split and was the 11th women's collegiate triathlete to finish out of 21.

Fellow sophomore Alecia Miller (Litchfield, Ill.) followed in 1:38:06 (17:23 swim, 47:13 bike, 28:28 run), as she built on her performances from last season. First year Marcella Shular (Colorado Springs, Colo.) made a strong collegiate debut, finishing in 1:40:33 (22:35 swim, 45:32 bike, 26:03 run) and posted the team's fastest run time. 

Just two seconds later, first year Jasmine Jimenez Lara (Gilroy, Calif.) crossed in 1:40:35 (18:19 swim, 48:13 bike, 29:18 run). First year Adelle Patton (Puyallup, Wash.) finished in 1:47:02 (13:20 swim, 52:45 bike, 34:56 run), posted the Bison's fastest swim split. First year Melany Salcedo Benavidas (Woodbridge, Va.) finished in 1:49:09 (17:32 swim, 53:43 bike, 32:05 run) and first year Brianna Doolittle (Austin, Texas) crossed the finish line in 1:51:18 (17:20 swim, 52:45 bike, 35:22 run) to round out GU's lineup as the solid efforts contributed to the third-place team result.

This marks the beginning of the second season of women's triathlon at Gallaudet University. With a balanced mix of returning athletes and new faces, the Bison showcased depth, determination, and continued growth in a competitive collegiate field. A podium finish in the opener offers encouraging momentum for the Bison moving forward.

UP NEXT
The Bison return to action on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Beaver County Tri Cup / Duquesne University Invitational in Beaver Falls, Pa..