The 30th annual Diploma Dash and City 5K Championship Race will take place on Saturday, March 1 at the UTSA Main Campus. Thousands of San Antonio joggers and competitive runners will partake in the yearly contest. The race is open to everyone, with categories including Masters, Team Challenges, UTSA students, UTSA departments and ROTC students. The proceeds from Diploma Dash benefit the UTSA Alumni Association and the scholarships that they dis- tribute to commendable UTSA students.

Taking part in this year’s Diploma Dash and City 5K Championship Race will be the UTSA Triathlon Club. The club is currently led by UTSA freshman Garrett Kneese, a biochemistry major who serves as the club’s president and captain.

Created in the fall of 2012, the club asks official members to attend workouts regularly throughout the week, whether it is swimming, cycling, run- ning or a combination of the three.

“As a younger club, our goal is to grow competitively,” says Kneese. “But we also would like to grow as a fitness outlet for those looking to branch into the triathlon scene or just master a new sport or two.”

The club currently has 20

members who practice three times a week at either the Valero trailhead or the Brandeis High School track. “We swim every Tuesday and Thursday at the Chisholm pool and also cycle three times a week for various distances, leaving from and returning to the UTSA campus,”says Kneese on the club’s training routine. “We also spend every Friday morning at the Rec for strength training and injury prevention for our athletes.”

The club will be competing in various races throughout the semester, such as the Collegiate National Championships in Tempe, Arizona, that requires rigorous training.

“Those who are competing with the club are held to a standard of preparation, more so than performance,”says Kneese. “With over 13 hours per week of available training, there are plenty of opportunities for members to prepare themselves for competition, whether it be their first or fifth tri.”