SPEARFISH, S.D. – Announced last month by director of athletics Mark Nore, the next head coach of the Black Hills State University triathlon program will be BHSU alumna Katie Christy. The former Yellow Jacket student-athlete, graduate assistant, and volunteer assistant coach will take the reins of the program after former head coach Connie Feist announced her retirement after nine years in the position.

"We're thrilled to have Katie Christy join us as head coach! Her experience, energy, and passion for the sport are exactly what we need to keep pushing our team forward," exclaimed Nore. "With Coach Christy at the helm, we're ready to keep improving, keep growing, and keep elevating our team in the right direction. She is a perfect fit for our triathlon program and are very excited about her decision to be leading our team."

Christy was a member of the inaugural BHSU triathlon team in 2015 and helped spearhead a decade of success thus far in the program's young history. She was a 3-time NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award recipient (2016-18) and in 2018 was named a Women's Collegiate Triathlon Scholar All-American. In 2016 she helped lead the program to their first team finish at national's as they placed tenth, before back-to-back top-3 finishes with a second place finish in 2017 and a third place team finish in 2018. Individually at the 2017 and 2018 national championships she posted 15^th and 16^th place finishes overall respectively. Following her collegiate career, she qualified and finished the 2019 International Triathlon Union World Championship held in Lausanne, Switzerland.

"I am beyond excited to carry on the legacy of BHSU triathlon," stated Christy. "Since the team's beginnings in 2015, there has been tremendous growth in the triathlon program, and I am honored to be a part of the journey!"

She returned to Black Hills State in 2021 serving as the graduate assistant coach for the triathlon program till 2023 and then moved into a volunteer role as the cycling coach through 2024. During her three seasons assisting the Yellow Jackets they finished within the top-6 nationally each year, extending a streak to seven consecutive years they had done so, which dates back to her time as a student-athlete for the Green & Gold. In her first season as head coach, Christy will be assisted by her former college teammate, Sage Riss, who has been on staff for the triathlon program since 2022.

"It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to coach alongside one of my best friends' and former teammate, assistant coach Sage Riss," added Christy. "We work great together and provide a balance in one another's coaching style that will allow us to be successful together."

The Forest Lake, Minnesota, native graduated from Black Hills State University in 2018 with a bachelors in outdoor education and in 2023 with a master's in strategic leadership. She now resides in Spearfish.