TEMPE, Ariz. – The 2025 season came to a close for the Black Hills State University women's triathlon team, bringing five student-athletes to the Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships at the Tempe Town Lake. The Yellow Jackets recorded a seventh place finish in NCAA Division II and was 21^st overall amongst the 36 teams competing across all three divisions with 312 points. The Green & Gold saw Sydney Campbell and Payton Sheehan return to the national stage for the third and second time in their careers, however, it was first-time national qualifier Scarlett Walsh that led the way with a 114^th place finish overall and 36^th in DII.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Leading the way in the team lineup for Black Hills State for the first time this season was Scarlett Walsh, who made her nationals debut and posted a time of 1:15:18.2 for 114^th overall and 36^th in NCAA Division II. While not posting one of the top times in any of the three disciplines, her consistency paved the way to her success on the day, recording the second-fastest time of the day in the swim (12:03.1), bike (38:34.0), and run (22:59.7). In-between each of the disciplines, she recorded times of 1:07.9 in transition one and 33.0 seconds in transition two.
• The second athlete to finish within the top-40 of NCAA Division II was Sydney Campbell, who was 117^th overall and 37^th in DII. She was second in the team lineup for the second consecutive race as she recorded a time of 1:15:47.3 in her third nationals' appearance. She exited the water with a time of 13:01.7 and then proceed to post the third fastest time by a Yellow Jacket in both transition one (1:02.5) and the bike (38:37.1). Campbell then picked up the pace in a strong finish, recording the second-fastest time on the team in transition two (0:26.4) and the fastest time in the run at 22:39.5.
• Payton Sheehan, who had led the Green & Gold in each of the first four races of the season, fell to third in the team lineup in her second nationals' appearance as she finished 130^th overall and 41^st in NCAA Division II with a time of 1:18:13.7. The was the first Yellow Jacket out of the water with a time of 11:50.6 and notched the quickest transition one time at 57.6 seconds. She also was the fastest BHSU runner in the bike with a time of 37:19.8 and was within the top-100, however she would close the day with times of 31.2 seconds in transition two and 27:34.2 in the run.
• Lilly Brophy made her first appearance at the national championships, posting a season-best time of 1:20:26.1 for 140^th overall and 47^th in NCAA Division II. She began the day with the third-fastest time by a Yellow Jacket in the swim, clocking a time of 12:51.8 and was one of just two BHSU athletes to record a sub-1 minute time in transition one at 58.2 seconds. In the bike she recorded a time of 38:48.3 and then notched the fastest time for the Green & Gold in transition two at 20.5 seconds. She concluded her season with a time of 27:27.2 in the run.
• The final Yellow Jacket competing at the national championship and the third first-time qualifier was Chantel Bickler, who recorded a time of 1:20:59.1 for 142^nd overall and 48^th in NCAA Division II. She began the day with times of 14:46.3 in the swim and made it through the first transition in 1:03.3. Then she moved onto the bike portion of the race where she clocked a time of 41:14.6 before turning in the third-fastest time by a Yellow Jacket in transition two at just 32.2 seconds. She then crossed the finish line with a time of 23:22.4 in the run, the third-fastest by a BHSU athlete in the discipline.

BLACK HILLS STATE RESULTS

Place (D2)	Name	Swim	T1	Bike	T2	Run	Total Time
114. (36)	Scarlett Walsh	12:03.1	1:07.9	38:34.0	0:33.0	22:59.7	1:15:18.2
117. (37)	Sydney Campbell	13:01.7	1:02.5	38:37.1	0:26.4	22:39.5	1:15:47.3
130. (41)	Payton Sheehan	11:50.6	0:57.6	37:19.8	0:31.2	27:34.2	1:18:13.7
140. (47)	Lilly Brophy	12:51.8	0:58.2	38:48.3	0:20.5	27:27.2	1:20:26.1
142. (48)	Chantel Bickler	14:46.3	1:03.3	41:14.6	0:32.2	23:22.4	1:20:59.1

 
NCAA DIVISION II TEAM RESULTS

1. Lenoir-Rhyne	762
2. Wingate	758
3. Drury	650
4. Colorado Mesa	546
5. Cal Poly Humboldt	492
6. UIndy	335
7. Black Hills State	312