August 30, 20171 The Hew Era I PAGE 19
SH cross-country coach Kambria Schumacher brings experience as top triathlete
By Scott Swanson at many of the races the Huskies will run this ning 19:23, the third-fastest 5K time in the
Of The New Era year, however. She's run them herself, in a entire field-men or women.
When hundreds of competitors dive into Sweet Home uniform. "After the first couple, I knew I had po-
Foster Lake Sept. 9 for the start of the Best Transferring from East Linn Christian tential in the sport, since I placed really wellin
in the West Sprint Triathlon, Kambria Schum- Academy, she and her younger sister Cassan- the first ones I did," she said.
acher won't be leading them. dra ran for the Huskies beginning in 2005, She's established herself as one of the top
If history is any indicator, she likely promptly establishing themselves in the top- female triathletes in the state, winning big re-
would be if she were going to be there, since 10 lists for cross-country and the distance gional events such as the Wildfiower Triathlon
she's won five straight sprint events at Best events in track. Both went on to compete at in Central California, in 2013 (714 competi-
in the West - every year she's competed and the college level and Kambria, who graduated tors).
against fields that include some of the top tri- in 2006 after a high school career that includ- More recently she's been a private train-
athletes in Oregon. ed four straight trips to state in cross-country er for triathletes and now she's in charge of
But this year she'll be in Rotterdam, and two in track, improved significantly in Sweet Home's cross-country program. She
The Netherlands, for the ITU World Triath- making that jump. said the best advice she can give the young
lon Grand Final on Sept. 16, after qualifying She ran for Oregon State University for runners from her own experience is to relax
at the Olympic Nationals in Omaha, Neb. on 21/2 years, clocking a personal-best 18:40.77 - and to find other ways of conditioning in ad-
Aug. 12. in the 5K, nearly four minutes faster than her dition to running.
This will be the second year Schumacher's high school cross-country best at that dis- "I think the biggest thing is not to over-
competed at the worlds Olympic-distance tance. She also competed in the 1500 and the think things," Schumacher said. "Coming from
championships. She placed 14th last year in 3000 steeplechase, she said. a running background and going to triathlons,
her age group in Cozumel, Mexico. In 2011 she decided to give the triathlon cross-training with other sports makes you a
"The venue was absolutely gorgeous but a shot. better athlete and helps keep you injury-free."
the humidity took a little getting used to," "I'd been running all the time and you She said her immediate goal is to get her
she said. "I stayed hydrated enough it didn't kind of get burned out," she said at the time. runners, many of whom didn't do much dur-
bother me too bad." She launched her triathlon career with a ing the summer - which is a critical training
She'd committed to the worlds this year couple of sprint triathlons (750 meter swim, time in the Sky-Em League - on the road.
before she found out she was Sweet Home 12-mile bike, 5K run), starting with the Port- "I will encourage them to run more,"
High School's new cross-country coach, which land Triathlon, where she finished third over- Schumacher said. "When I was in high school
means she'll miss the Huskies' race at the Sil- all in the women's division and first in her age I didn't do any daily doubles. Just having
vet Falls Oktoberfest Invitational on Sept. 13. group, she won the women's sprint event at them do that, we'll get a little more mileage
Schumacher will be on familiar ground the Best in the West Triathlon in 2011, run- in them."
Kambria Schumacher
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