ANGOLA — When Trine University’s first women’s triathlon team begins competition this fall, a 2015 East Noble graduate will be providing leadership.
Kari Guthrie of Kendallville, a senior management major, swam for the Knights for four years and for the Cole Center Family YMCA Bluefins for 10 years. She will begin her third season of coaching the Angola YMCA Wavemakers age group swim team in September.
“As an upperclassman, Kari will not only lead us as a standout student within the Ketner School of Business and an Ehinger Fellow, but also as an experienced athlete and youth swimming coach in our community,” said Danny Powell, Ph.D., women’s triathlon coach and assistant professor in the Ketner School of Business. “Kari has displayed the qualities that have caused her to be nominated by her peers as well as faculty members to become a part of the Ehinger Fellows leadership program. She is also already enrolled in several graduate business classes.”
Guthrie was MVP and second team all-conference for three years as an East Noble swimmer. She also was runner-up at sectionals in 2012 and 2014.
During her time with the Bluefins, she was a zone qualifier for four years in a row in the 50- and 100-meter breaststroke, and a national qualifier in 2014 for the 100-meter breaststroke.
“When I met Dr. Powell for some of my classes he talked to me about triathlons. I was kind of getting bored because I wasn’t doing a sport any more like I used to,” she said. “It just sounded like something I could get into because I used to cross-train with running and biking, so I know how to do all of them.”
Although it’s uncommon for an upperclassman to pick up a new sport, Guthrie said she doesn’t foresee any problems with trying to train for triathlon while managing the rest of her time.
“I like to be busy,” she said. “I don’t like down time. I like to keep going and be busy all the time, so going from one thing to the next doesn’t really bother me.”
Guthrie said she is “super excited” to represent Trine in triathlon this fall.
“I’m a very competitive person, so being able to take the school that I like to learn at and compete for them is going to be a whole new ballpark for me, but it’ll be fun,” she said.
Since she hasn’t competed in a sport for two years, she said training has been difficult.
“The swimming part, I’ve got that down, but the running and biking is tough to get back into and go as far as I have to go and training,” she said.
“I’m really big on always trying to improve my skills and better myself,” she said. “It’s not so much about getting first for me, it’s more knowing that I improve every time I do a race. I don’t train to win; I train to better myself.”
For more information on Trine University’s triathlon team, contact Powell at (260) 665-4219 or powelld@trine.edu.
