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Gupta-Baltazar takes NCAA women’s race at Clermont Draft Legal Challenge

Canadian wraps up big weekend of racing with win

Photo by: Kevin Mackinnon

After a third-place finish at the Clermont Super Sprint Cup on Saturday, defending NCAA champion Kira Gupta-Baltazar capped off a big weekend of racing at the Draft Legal Challenge in Florida with a win in the NCAA women’s race. Once again she was competing over the super sprint distance – a 3.8 km swim, 10 km bike and a 2.5 km run.

Always a strong swimmer, Gupta-Baltazar, who competes for the University of San Francisco, led the women out of the water, then was near the front throughout the bike before running her way to the win in a time of 31:49. Wingate University’s Ninja Shierl took second in a time of 32:25, with Sam McInnes from Queens University of Charlotte taking third in 32:42.

Canada’s Clara Normand from Wagner College finished sixth in 33:03, while countrywoman Teagan Shapansky from the University of South Dakota finished 21st in 34:35.

Last fall Gupta-Baltazar continued Canada’s rich tradition of success at the NCAA championship, making it the fourth year in a row that a Canadian women won the national championship.

Thanks to Barrie Shepley for info on this weekend’s racing.