SPEARFISH, S.D. – After two consecutive seasons in which the team finished in the top-three nationally, the Black Hills State University women's triathlon team will look to stay elite as it enters the 2019 season. Adding to the intrigue of the season is a home national qualifying meet in September.

During the 2019 season, the Yellow Jackets finished third at the Women's Collegiate National Championships. Due to sickness, only three members of the Green and Gold competed, yet the team still made the Division II podium. BHSU was led by Mathilde Bernard, who completed her sophomore season with a third place finish in Division II. The two-time All-American enters her junior year looking for more hardware, both individually, and as a team.

Three additional Yellow Jackets – junior Emma Stone and sophomores Chelsea Basford and Kennedy Teeslink – return to the squad to provide experience.

Three newcomers join the Green and Gold this season to provide depth. Alexis Sjurseth, from Fargo, N.D., comes to BHSU with a strong swimming background, while Hannah Hirschi, from Billings, Montana, and Myna Buckley, from Henderson, Nevada, each competed on the cross country and swim teams for their respective high schools and have experience with triathlons.

The Yellow Jackets begin their season at the Southern Hills Triathlon in Hot Springs, S.D., on August 31.

The Green and Gold were selected to host the Women's Collegiate West Regional Qualifier. The competition will be held September 15 at the Belle Fourche Reservoir. The race is one of three national qualifiers, which collegiate student-athletes must compete in in order to qualify for the Collegiate National Championships November 16 in Tempe, Arizona.

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Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.

---BHSUAthletics.com---