SPEARFISH, S.D. – Black Hills State University women's triathlon is set to see five tri-athletes compete at the NCAA Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships on Saturday, November 8, as they travel to Tempe, Arizona. The Yellow Jackets look to continue their success in the season's final race, seeking their eighth consecutive top-6 finish in NCAA Division II.
 
QUICK DETAILS
Date & Time: Saturday, November 8 at 10:30 AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona – Tempe Town Lake
Super Sprint: 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, and 5.0-kilometer run
C Wave Competitors: Chantel Bickler
B Wave Competitors: Payton Sheehan, Sydney Campbell, Scarlett Walsh, Lilly Brophy
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• In 2025 Black Hills State has recorded an eighth place finish at both the Southern Hills Triathlon and the Desert's Edge Triathlon, competing against some of the top NCAA Division I competition in both races, then went on to finish fifth at the Prairie State Cup, and most recently was 12^th overall at the NCAA West Regional.
• The Green & Gold have recorded seven consecutive top-6 finish at the Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships, finishing sixth in NCAA Division II in 2024 with 462 team points.
• The Yellow Jackets are currently the No. 6 team in the CTCA Coaches' Poll in NCAA Division II.
• Leading the way all season long for the Yellow Jackets and punching a ticket to the national championships for the second time in her career is sophomore Peyton Sheehan. She began the 2025 season with a career-best super sprint time of 35:12 for 35^th place at the Southern Hills Triathlon, and then she clocked a career-best sprint time of 1:05:55 for 20^th place at the Prairie State Cup to secure a trip to Tempe. She led the way in the team lineup for the fourth time this season as she placed 25^th in NCAA Division II and 60^th overall with a time of 1:15:53.56 at the NCAA West Regional.
• Also making a return trip to the national championships for BHSU is Sydney Campbell, who will make her third appearance after qualifying in 2023 and 2024. At the 2023 national championship she was 110^th overall with a time of 1:17:39 and in 2024 she was 114^th overall with a time of 1:11:29. She finished third in the team lineup in each of the first three races of the year with a career-best best super sprint time of 38:09 for 48^th at the Southern Hills Triathlon to begin the season and a career-best sprint distance time of 1:11:02 for 38^th place at the Prairie State Cup. Then in her last outing she moved up to second in the team lineup, finishing 27^th in NCAA Division II and 62^nd overall with a time of 1:16:27.05 to punch her ticket to Tempe.
• With a strong sophomore campaign, Scarlett Walsh emerged as one of the top tri-athletes for the Green & Gold this season and punched a ticket to the national championships for the first time in her career. She finished second in the team lineup in each of the first three of the races this year where at the Southern Hills Triathlon she clocked career-best sprint time of 36:16 for 44^th place and added a career-best sprint time of 1:09:26 for 31^st place at the Prairie State Cup to secure her spot to Tempe. At the NCAA West Regional she placed 31^st in NCAA Division II and 69^th overall with a time of 1:19:18.71.
• Making her return to triathlon for the Green & Gold in 2025, Lilly Brophy has recorded season-best times of 41:15 for 53^rd place in a super sprint at the Southern Hills Triathlon and 1:17:47 for 59^th place in a sprint at the Prairie State Cup. She posted a time of 1:20:46.55 in the NCAA West Regional for 34^th place in NCAA Division II and 76^th place overall to qualify for the national championships for the first time in her career.
• Competing in two races thus far for the Yellow Jackets in 2025, Chantel Bickler notched a career-best time at the season opening Southern Hills Triathlon, posting a super sprint time of 38:54 for 50^th place, and added a career-best sprint time of 1:18:11 for 60^th place at the Prairie State Cup to qualify for the national championships for the first time in her career.
• Black Hills State University triathlon alumna, Katie Christy, is in her first season as head coach of the Yellow Jackets.