For the first time in Rosary history, our triathlon team has won the USAT High School State Championship. This accomplishment is truly monumental for our small team, and the Super-Bowl-style rings and banner we’ll get are pretty cool, too.

Swim and triathlon coach, Adam Harita, reflects on the big win, “Under the cloudy skies of South Orange County, the Rosary Royal Triathlon team did fantastic in their first USA Triathlon High School State Championship race at Lake Mission Viejo today. Leading the way was junior Sophia Long, who took 3rd in her division. The Royals scored enough points to secure the California State Championship so it was a great day!” 

This win has been a long time coming for the small group of girls that make up our triathlon team. With true triathlete legends to look up to like Elizabeth Harita ‘22 and Elena Walz ‘22, our team has been so motivated to earn this win.

As Coach Adam said before, junior Sophia Long had an incredible race, finishing with a time of 1:26:09, putting her third place in the 16-19 age category. Sophia reflects on her impressive performance, saying, “I was a bit nervous before we started, but as soon as we got into the water I got into ‘the zone,’ determined to beat my personal record, I pushed myself to keep going at the hardest moments, especially on the incredibly hilly bike and running courses. I was beyond excited to finish my race with a personal best of 1:26:09 and place third in my age category. I am so proud of the triathlon team and all the hard work we have put in this season. We went out there and gave it our all, although it was a tough course, the Rosary girls pushed through and we finished with a state championship. I can’t wait for our next race this summer!”

This victory was hard-earned by our team with countless hours of training and unwavering perseverance. This milestone also paves the way for a bright future of this team, which has many aspirations of growing in size and skill.

Our team expects to do a few races this summer, and of course, plenty of training. Congratulations to my fellow triathletes and a big thank you to Coach Adam.