SPEARFISH, S.D. – While the total distance will remain a sprint triathlon, the 2024 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships will feature a first of its kind format due to water conditions post hurricane at the Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont, Florida. The resulting changes will see all teams competing in a swim time trial of the original 750-meter distance at the Clermont Watersports Complex on Friday, November 8, before reverting back to the originally designated location for what will now be a duathlon on Saturday, November 9, at Lake Louisa State Park. The Friday swim will come into play as it will set the staggered start times in the each of the three waves, starting at transition one into the 20-kilometer bike ride. The Black Hills State University women's triathlon once again enters as one of the top teams in NCAA Division II as they will have the maximum of seven student-athletes competing in the event.
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DAY 1 DETAILS
Date & Time: Friday, November 8 at 8:45 a.m. MST / 10:45 a.m. EST
Location: Clermont, Florida – Clermont Watersports Complex
Sprint: 750-meter swim
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DAY 2 DETAILS
Date & Time: Saturday, November 9 at 8 a.m. MST / 10 a.m. EST
Location: Clermont, Florida – Lake Louisa State Park
Sprint: 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run
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BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES
- Black Hills State is coming off a seventh place finish overall and third place among NCAA Division II competition in their last race a just about a month ago at the West National Qualifier. In the event the Yellow Jackets saw the max number of seven student-athletes qualify for the national championships.
- In just her second race of the season, Jadyn Johnson secured All-Region honors for the Yellow Jackets at the West National Qualifier, posting an overall time of 1:10:46 for a season-best time and a 39th place finish which was good enough for seventh among NCAA Division II competition. She also competed in the Prairie State Cup this season where she notched a 13th place finish with an overall time of 1:11:07.
- Keira Wilkinson has also been among the top athletes the entire season for BHSU as the freshman was the top BHSU finisher in both of the first two events of the year, notching finishes of 27th place at the Southern Hills Triathlon and then a sixth place finish at the Prairie State Cup, before a 46th place overall finish at the West National Qualifiers. In the regional event in Springfield, she was 11th among DII competitors with an overall time of 1:11:54. She has a season-best sprint triathlon time of 1:09:27 which took place in Clinton, Illinois, at the Prairie State Cup.
- Rounding out the top trio of athletes for BHSU is Natalie Moose-Elkin, who is also a returning national qualifier after earning a 49th place finish overall and 13th place finish among DII competition at the West National Qualifier with a time of 1:12:33. Her season-best sprint triathlon time occurred at the Prairie State Cup as she posted a time of 1:12:18 for 16th place overall in the race.
- Another returning national qualifier in the group of Black Hills State athletes is Sydney Gasper who made a big return to competing with an overall finish of 51st place and 15th among DII competition as she notched a sprint triathlon time of 1:13:37 at the west region qualifiers.
- The second of two freshmen competing at the national championships for the Yellow Jackets will be Payton Sheehan after clocking a time of 1:15:10 for an overall finish of 58th place and 20th among DII competition in the regional qualifier in Springfield.
- Sydney Cambell will also be making a return trip to the national championships after notching a season-best sprint triathlon time of 1:17:14 for 66th place overall and 26th place among DII competition. She has also posted finishes of 30th place at the Prairie State Cup and 42nd at the Southern Hills Triathlon.
- Rounding out the 2024 national qualifiers for the Yellow Jackets and also making a return trip is Cassidy Teeslink, who punched her ticket with a time of 1:17:19 at the West National Qualifiers for 67th place overall and 27th among DII competition. She also has finishes of 19th overall at the Prairie State Cup, where she collected a season-best sprint time of 1:14:28, and 34th overall at the Southern Hills Triathlon.
- Connie Feist has been with the program since its inception in 2014 and is in her ninth season as head coach after taking over in 2016.
