The Triathlon BC Provincial Team delivered a strong and inspiring performance at the Pleasant Prairie USAT Junior Triathlon on June 1st, which is one of the premier junior triathlon events in North America. Against a deep and talented field of future stars, BC athletes stepped up with standout performances, podium finishes, and meaningful learning experiences.

Leading the charge was Brooke Rouselle, who claimed an outstanding victory in the Junior Women’s race, showcasing her strength and speed across all three disciplines. Brooke was one of the first athletes out of the water and fomed a lead pack of six riders on the bike, which included teammate Kahlen Anderson. Working together to push the pace, the duo helped maintain a gap on the field heading into T2. Brooke then unleashed a dominant run—clocking the fastest split of the lead group—to take the win over a field of more than 60 junior women. Kahlen held her own in the fast-paced run, finishing a strong 10th overall. Avery Deis also gained valuable experience in her first international competition. Exiting the water and joining the third bike group of 15, she worked hard to improve her pack riding and transitions, capping off the day with a determined finish on the run.

“I started off the day with a very open and excited mind set. I also had a few process goals to try and accomplish during the race. The swim start worked in my interest as the horn was super quiet so some people flinched and I got a slight head start. Into the water I got behind a girl and just followed her until we were back at the beach. Once out of the water, I had a smooth transition but struggled a bit with my wet suit, thus I had to push hard out of transition so that I could ride in the lead pack of six girls. On the bike we were working together and gained a bit of time; we were about 50 seconds ahead of second pack by the end of the bike. Then in T2, I had a hard time putting my shoes on, so I got out of transition a bit after most people in my pack but this forced me to start at a fast pace in an attempt to catch everyone.  Once I was ahead, it was just a question of keeping the legs going until I got to go through my first tape for the win!”
– Brooke Rouselle

In the Junior Men’s field, Ethan Sagi secured a hard-earned third place, navigating a fast, tactical race to land on the podium. Ethan and Austin Beese exited the water among the leaders and quickly formed a front group of 11 riders. Just 15 seconds back, Nico Stockwell and Alessio Zoppi powered through T1 and slotted into the second pack of 11, working hard to close the gap to the leaders.

The front group held their advantage into T2, and Ethan stayed in contention throughout the run to secure third place. Austin kept the pace strong to finish 9th overall, while Nico turned heads with the fifth-fastest run split of the day, surging to a 10th-place finish. Alessio crossed the line in 24th, rounding out a well-fought performance in a competitive 60-man field. Coen McMurray, despite not finishing the race, gained valuable insights and experience throughout the trip that will fuel his development going forward.

“It was an incredible experience traveling with the provincial team, alongside all the athletes, Coach Kelly, and Coach Clint. Going into the race, I felt confident knowing how much hard work I had put in over the winter, and coming off a solid performance in North Shore the week before definitely helped boost that confidence.

In the race I had a good start, things got a bit rough on the way to the first buoy but afterwards I stayed in the front pack and got a good draft the rest of the swim and exited the water 8th. T1 went well. I got my wetsuit off fast without any issues, and exited transition 16 seconds back from the leader. On the bike I started fast and worked my way up to the leader before the first corner on the course. We were then a pack of around 10 athletes (including Austin which was good) and quickly got to work to make sure the second pack wouldn’t catch us. There were a few attempts by some Americans to break away but none were successful. I didn’t feel great on the bike, but still made sure to be working at the front and we only kept extending our gap to those behind. T2 was quick and I exited to the run first, and after a few hundred meters an American came by me and I slotted in behind him, but was eventually dropped and ran solo the rest of the lap, with a large group of athletes not far behind. At the start of the second lap another American caught up to me, and we then worked together and started to close the gap to the leader, but with around 500 meters to go we saw we wouldn’t be able to catch the leader. I tried to make an early move to try and secure 2nd place but he kicked back even stronger and I didn’t have the pace to chase him. In the end I finished 3rd, with what was probably one of my best races I have ever put together.”
– Ethan Sagi

 

For all team members, Pleasant Prairie served as a significant development milestone, offering a chance to race against the continent’s best and take key lessons into the rest of the season. The project was led by Provincial Team Coach Kelly Guest, with support from Clint Lein, both of whom provided expert guidance and mentorship throughout the competition and travel. Triathlon BC is incredibly proud of the entire team for their professionalism, effort, and inspiring representation of our province on the international stage.