SPEARFISH, S.D. – After being a part of the Black Hills State University triathlon program since the beginning in 2014, head coach Connie Feist has announced her retirement on Friday afternoon.
 
"I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given over a decade ago to help build and develop a newly formed tri team," stated Feist. "It has been a pleasure coaching all the student-athletes that have been through our program and I've most enjoyed forming relationships and bonds with the exceptional ladies who have chosen to attend BHSU and compete in triathlon."
 
As the program celebrated their tenth anniversary season in 2024, Feist and the Yellow Jackets capped yet another year at the Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships with a sixth place finish in NCAA Division II, marking the programs seventh consecutive top-6 finish at nationals. She took over the head coaching position in 2016 as she continued to lay the foundation for a team that would be an annual contender nationally with a second place finish in 2017 and third place finishes in 2018 and 2019.
 
In a statement from director of athletics, Mark Nore, he commented "I am very thankful for Connie's service to her team and our university. She has done an amazing job of elevating our triathlon program to the national level. More importantly we appreciate the culture she has built and the student-athletes she has in the program! We wish Coach Feist nothing but health and happiness in her retirement."
 
As the NCAA emerging sport continued to grow over the past decade, she coached 25 student-athletes to qualify for the national championships, 12 of which qualified multiple times and were highlighted by a trio of 4-time national qualifiers in Mathilde Bernard, Natalie Moose-Elkin, and Sydney Gasper. Also, under Feist's guidance Bernard was named National Freshman of the Year in 2017 as she recorded a fourth place finish in NCAA Division II, her first of three straight top-6 individual finishes in DII. Additionally, her teams saw success in the classroom as numerous individuals received Scholar All-American accolades and the team received seven Scholar Team awards through the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA).
 
Feist added, "I am also thankful for the follow coaches, administrators, families, and community members who have believed in our team and have celebrated the many accomplishments of our student-athletes over the years.  Everyone involved with triathlon at BHSU is proud to represent the university at the highest levels both athletically and academically. I am looking forward to the next phase of my involvement with BHSU Triathlon by being one of the team's biggest fans and cheering all their future successes."
 
A national search for the next Black Hills State head triathlon coach will begin immediately.