Triathlon might be perceived as a hardcore, exclusive sport, but the WashU triathlon club (Tri Club) makes it accessible to athletes of all skill levels. There are around 40 active club members, with around 30 active undergraduates and 10 active graduates.

“The secret to success in sports is 90% mentality and 10% skill.” This is a commonly touted mantra in the field of athletics, where the top level is characterized by minimal differences in physicality. And swimming, the epitome of aerobic demand, is no different.

As their two championships approach rapidly with roughly a month left in their seasons, the No. 11 men’s and No. 15 women’s WashU swim teams faced DePauw University on Feb. 1, with both teams coming out victorious. In their final tune-up before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championships, the men’s team won 196-85, and the women’s team won 189-100.

Across four days from Feb. 14-17, the No. 14 ranked Washington University men’s and women’s swim and dive teams attempted to do exactly that, putting themselves to the test against elite competition in the 2024 UAA Championships. The women’s (1,162 points) and men’s (1,105 points) teams fell short of the UAA title, but placed fourth and fifth respectively, finishing in the middle of the talented eight-team conference.

“We had several swimmers make finals [and] several swimmers score points,” junior Koji Barrette, President of the WashU Swim Club, said. “We placed 27th [compared to] last year when we placed 78th. So, big jump. But I think [that] most of all, we’ve really grown as a team, both in size and [in] camaraderie, and we’ve just had a really successful season.”

In the final meet before nationals, the Washington University men’s and women’s swimming teams both came away with runner-up finishes at the University Athletic Championships from Wednesday through Saturday in Rochester, N.Y.

A professor looking to fundraise for youth education in St. Louis went the distance this summer, swimming 27 miles around Manhattan Island.

[rating stars=2.5]Not all experiments go well, and Caribou’s newest album “Swim” is one such experiment. The album has its moments, but overall, the album sounds unfinished. This is Canadian Dan Snaith’s fifth solo album and his third under the moniker Caribou, with two earlier albums released under the name Manitoba.

Start with Washington University students waking up between 6 and 8 a.m. on a Sunday morning; throw in some cold weather in the low 40s, an overcast sky, strong wind and rain; add a combination of 400 meters of swimming, a 12-mile bike ride around Forest Park and a five-kilometer run.

Ready your bikes, get set in the pool and hit the pavement running because registration for the first on-campus triathlon is open. The Washington University triathlon club has organized what it hopes will become a tradition for community members looking to spice up their exercise routines.