Spearfish, SD – The Black Hills State University triathlon team has signed two new athletes for the 2020 season.
 
Liljä McKendry comes to Black Hills from Virginia Beach, VA. Intending to major in marketing, the outdoor opportunities brought McKendry out west. In high school, McKendry competed in cross country and swimming. In swimming, she was named to the All-State team her junior year and was a member of the state champion 4X200 meter relay team. That year, she also took fifth in the USA Triathlon Draft-Legal National championships to qualify for World Championships. This past year, McKendry competed at the world at ITU
Triathlon Draft-Legal World Championships for 16-19 age group taking 21^st.
 
"Lilja is the rare high school athlete that has already developed in all three disciplines of the triathlon," said head coach Connie Feist. "She has a considerable amount of racing experience on both the National and International levels and we expect her to have a very successful collegiate career at Black Hills State."
 
Gretta Stark joins Black Hills from Breese, Illinois where she had a standout cross country career. Capitan of her 2019 team, she was a three time state qualifier. She also competed in her age group at the National Triathlon Championships in 2019. Stark plans to major in accounting. She choose Black Hills based on the energy from campus.  
 
"Gretta is a powerful swimmer and runner combined with a dedicated training ethic and a positive attitude," said head coach Connie Feist. "We expect her to adapt very well to our training program and make an immediate impact on our team."