July 31, 2008

Garden City, N.Y. -

Assistant Track Coach Kevin McQueen is in his comfort zone working with the sprinters and hurdlers at Adelphi. Four months ago if you would have asked this Syracuse All-American hurdler if he would ever swim, bike and run all in the week let alone the same day, his answer would have been a resounding "No!". But that's just what Coach McQueen accomplished last weekend when he competed at the Strong Island Triathalon at SUNY Old Westbury on July 27.

It's been several years since coach McQueen has competed in an athletic event, but he found himself drawn to trying a triathlon. "It's a combination of the three sports I love the most," McQueen said. This rookie event included a 300 yard swim, a eight-mile bike and a two-mile run. To make matters worse, he had to compete in monsoon like conditions which include pebble-size hail stones during the run portion of the race. "Despite the weather, it was a fun race. The triathlon is probably one of the toughest one day events I could imagine."

While a sprinter at heart, McQueen had the added advantage of being a accomplished swimmer. So with only 12 weeks of training, he finished 39th overall and 5th in his age group in a time of 57:18.8. "The swim was definitely easier than I thought", McQueen explained. "I learned alot from the race, including the joy of running up hills. I hope to do better the next time out."

His family was on hand to cheer him on during the race. "I thought he was crazy when he decided to do the sprint tri, but after watching him swim and his transition to the bike...we were all cheering him on as he zoomed off," said [twin] brother Kelvin McQueen.

Now, the triathlon bug has bitten, as McQueen will be competing this weekend in another sprint event at Eisenhower Park. It features a 400 yard swim, six-mile bike and two-mile run. Having learned from his first experience, he is confident that he can improve his overall finish. "I could see myself working my way up to longer races, but not necessarily IronMan! I would like to stay competitive on the sprint triathlon circuit and see where it goes from there."