Katie June- 2010 Sprint National Champion

By Amy Kloner

Seventeen year old Sport Factory Junior Elite, Katie June, wrapped up her 2010 racing season with another title to add to her collection: USAT Sprint National Champion. On September 26th, June toed the line with several hundred athletes in Tuscaloosa, AL, to swim 750 meters, bike 20 km, and finish with a 5 km run. Katie not only won her 19-under age group, but finished first overall female – a full minute ahead of her next competitor.

While USAT rules would only allow her to race the sprint event, Katie said that she would have rather raced Age Group Nationals (Olympic distance). She is no stranger to triathlon, having started in the sport around the age of 12.  Olympic distance racing is her favorite, and she has no problem with the longer distance, winning overall in several local races. Most notably, June was the overall amateur winner at Chattanooga Waterfront earlier this summer. It seems, however, that the decision to race Sprint Nationals worked to her favor.

“I was really pleased with my race at nationals. Of course I would've preferred to race Age Group Nationals instead of the sprint race, but at least I'll probably be there next year. I did lose quite a bit of time on the swim to the other girls who ended up on the podium, but I felt strong on the bike and run despite the rain. I was especially happy with my bike split, because it was the first time I've had the fastest bike split in a race. It helped that the bike course involved a series of out-and-back sections so that I could always see how much time I needed to make up. I think my run split was good for the course conditions, because I wasn't very far off my 5k PR. But I did keep turning around to look behind me because I couldn't believe that I was in first place, so maybe that added some time to my run split...” June said.

Katie has been coached by Holly Marzetti for several years. Holly is one of the original Sport Factory coaches and is a USAT Certified Level II triathlon coach, guiding athletes of all ages and levels from sprint to Ironman distance.  She seems to especially excel with junior athletes (she is also a school teacher), and has taken the lead with our Junior Elite program the past few years.  Katie has undoubtedly benefited over the years from Marzetti’s skilled guidance and commitment to her development, especially while juggling the growing pains of teen years and other extra-curricular activities (Katie ran Cross-Country through her junior year).  Marzetti’s ability to connect with her young athletes on and off the race course seems to have a positive effect on their preparation, confidence, and performance.

“We had a 40 minute conversation two nights before the race. We talked about everything – from racing, college choices, and of course tattoos. She was very relaxed but well-focused, and her mind was in a very good place for Sunday,”said Marzetti.

“Katie's hard work and dedication really showed leading up to the race.  She had a change of focus in training from the longer training (Olympic distance) to a short course build.  She really stepped out of her comfort zone to be able to push her body to that point.  We knew there were two ITU girls in her age group so we talked about transitions being quick, which we both learned from Duathlon Worlds.  She knows she can work hard on the bike solo and that is what she did.  To make up two minutes in 12 miles is real determination.”

And determination is one thing this young lady has plenty of. While training at The Sport Factory with most athletes at least twice her age, she quietly persists, never complains, and is usually the first to arrive and the last to leave. Whether she knows it or not, she is setting a positive example for other Junior Elites, like 14 year old up-and-coming athlete Hannah Meadows.  Triathlon is a solo sport, but there are infinite opportunities to work together in training, or to simply lead by example.  Theses youngsters are typically high achievers both in the classroom and in triathlon; it is difficult to separate the strong work ethic and determination, regardless of the activity.

Katie’s future plans, both racing and scholastic, are not yet set in stone, but she has several options and lots to look forward to.  In terms of triathlon, she says, “Next year I'll be racing either Short Course Duathlon Nationals in Tucson or Age Group Nationals in Burlington. I can't decide if I would rather race Duathlon Worlds next year in Spain or Triathlon Worlds in 2012 (which I heard is in London), assuming I qualify, so that will dictate which race I choose. I'm also hoping to do some bigger Olympic-distance races with elite amateur categories like St. Anthony's and the Lifetime Fitness series.”

And future plans? College? Career?  “I haven't decided where I'm going to college yet. I applied to Georgia Tech, Alabama, and UNC, so now I'm just waiting to find out whether I got accepted or not. I was recently named a National Merit Semifinalist, which opens the door to a lot of scholarships, especially at Alabama. At this moment I'm probably leaning towards attending Alabama because it offers many opportunities for me that I wouldn't find at another school. The honors college there emphasizes service-based learning and being involved in the community, which is important to me. I'm hoping to major in athletic training or exercise science and also study abroad at least once. I'll definitely continue to race triathlons, but I'm not sure how much racing I'll be able to afford, since college students are generally poor from paying college tuition.”

That last comment likely made Whitney June (Katie’s mom) smile.  We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the support of Katie’s family as she has progressed in this sport. Most of us old-timers remember Katie’s dad waiting in the parking lot (since she was 14) for her on Tuesday and Thursday nights to drive her home from The Grind before she had her driver’s license.  And any local race would not be complete without Whitney June either volunteering in a kayak or enthusiastically supporting Katie and other athletes from the sidelines.  And Whitney is adamant about keeping Katie grounded, never tolerating any sort of egotistical or unsportsmanlike behavior (which was never a chore, because it is not in Katie’s nature anyway).  Whitney is simply not your typical stage-mother / soccer mom, and that level of unwavering support coupled with rock-solid morals has undoubtedly served her children well.

It has been a great ride for Katie and for all us as at The Sport Factory as we have watched her develop over the years into a fierce competitor with a positive sense of sportsmanship and balance. Katie explains, “Being a junior triathlete is so different than being a junior athlete in any other sport, because most other triathletes are adults. One of the most difficult parts about being a junior triathlete is gaining respect from other athletes and even race directors/officials. Sometimes it's hard for them to accept the fact that juniors can be just as talented as adult athletes. I wrote about this in one of my college essays and talked about how it's better to let actions speak louder than words. Don't complain or disrespect the other competitors or officials--let your talent show through your racing.”

And what about just being a kid? I asked her what advice she would give to other young athletes. “You have your whole life ahead of you to race triathlons, but you only go through high school once, so enjoy it. Sometimes I still have to remind myself of this, because it's easy to become absorbed in training,” Katie says.

Congratulations to Katie on yet another rock solid performance in the game of life and triathlon!