By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cliff English has seen just about everything the sport of triathlon has to offer. In two-plus decades of coaching, he has worked with age-group triathletes, Olympic triathletes and World Championship qualifiers in locales and events around the world.
When he arrived at Arizona State, however, he experienced the unfamiliar feeling of, well, unfamiliarity. Recruiting was new, his roster was new, the competition was new, the events were new and the sites were new.
"To be honest, that has made it exciting," he said this week. "It has been one of the bigger challenges I have experienced in a while."
The Sun Devils have met every one of those challenges -- and exceeded English's expectations. In two short months, ASU has won two regional qualifiers, placed second in the third qualifier it entered, and established itself as a serious threat to win the Women's Triathlon National Championship on Nov. 5 in New Orleans in the fledgling sport of collegiate triathlon.
"The season started really quickly and everybody on our team comes from a different background, but we're all brand new here so we have leaned on each other and come together really fast," said junior Katie Gorczyca, who won the Central Regional Qualifier on Sept. 5 in Naperville, Illinois, and placed second at the West Regional Qualifier on Oct. 8 in Berkeley, California. "The cool thing now is we're all making history together and we all have the same mindset and goals."
Gorczyca (from Las Vegas) spent two years at the Colorado Springs Elite Triathlon Academy while attending the University of Colorado- Colorado Springs before transferring to ASU.
"I was in pretty much the same boat as everybody else when I got here," she said. "Brand new program, new college sport so there are going to be a lot of glitches we have to deal with but I also know how excited everybody is about doing this. It will take time to develop but I knew that that Cliff was a really good coach and so is Erin Densham, our assistant coach, so we have a really strong support system to help."
With all but one team member expected back next season, and Emily Wagner joining the fold from Calgary after health issues forced her to defer this semester, the Sun Devils are set up for future success as well.
Freshman Delaney Bucker (Indianapolis) finished fourth in her first ever collegiate race at the Central Regional Qualifier, and fifth at the West Regional Qualifier.
Graduate student Amy Darlington (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) finished sixth at the East Regional and third at the West Regional. A transfer from Penn, she is the school record holder in the 3K steeplechase and qualified for NCAA Outdoor Regionals in that event last season.
Freshman Sarah Quintero (Round Rock, Texas) finished eighth at the East Regional, freshman Lillie Robinson (Madison, Alabama) was 18th, and freshman Kendal Williams (Anchorage, Alaska) was 22nd.
Freshman Charlotte Ahrens ran her first triathlon at age six and currently competes for the German National Team. The Nuremberg product was second at the German Nationals in 2015. She had friends swimming in the U.S. and she wanted the opportunity to combine her studies with competition at the same venue -- a luxury not afforded in the German university system.
"At first I thought maybe after one year I would go back home because I wasn't sure how everything would look and work," Ahrens said. "Now I have a scholarship for four years and I really like it here. I like my teammates. I think I will do all my studying here."
English plans to take the entire team to the national championship meet so they can experience the atmosphere, but only five student-athletes can compete in the event. Gorczyca, Ahrens, Darlington and Bucker have locked up four of those spots, but English has left the final spot open for Quintero, Robinson and Williams to battle it out over the next two weeks.
The Sun Devils expect to face tough competition from Queens University (Charlotte, North Carolina), which won the East Regional, along with Cal Poly and Colorado, but English likes his team's chances.
"We'll go out on Wednesday for the Saturday meet to scope out the course a few times and get ourselves in the right frame of mind," he said. "We'll put our heads down for the next two to three weeks and come in as prepared as possible."
English said that while the team is small, the support of the athletic department will make it feel larger. Sun Devil Athletics Chief Operating Officer Rocky Harris, a triathlete and avid fan of the sport, will accompany the team to the final meet. English also expects to hear from Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson.
"Every single race this season, Ray has been texting me," English said. "It's really cool to have that kind of support. I've coached in a ton of places and never felt something like this. It's an amazing family, and it's amazing to be a part of it."
A look at the Sun Devils' performance this season
Central Regional Qualifier
Sept. 5, Naperville, Illinois
Team: First place
1st -- Katie Gorczyca (00:58:57.9)
2nd -- Charlotte Ahrens (1:00:03.0)
4th -- Delaney Bucker (1:05:23.1)
East Regional Qualifier
Oct. 2, Greensboro, North Carolina
Team: Second place
6th -- Amy Darlington (1:10:35.9)
8th -- Sarah Quintero (1:11:47.3)
18th -- Lillie Robinson (1:16:29.1)
22nd -- Kendal Williams (1:17:22.0)
West Regional Qualifier
Oct. 8, Berkeley, California
Team: First place
1st – Charlotte Ahrens (1:06:32.5)
2nd – Katie Gorczyca (1:07:05.0)
3rd – Amy Darlington (1:07:38.6)
5th – Delaney Bucker (1:10:18.4)
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cliff English has seen just about everything the sport of triathlon has to offer. In two-plus decades of coaching, he has worked with age-group triathletes, Olympic triathletes and World Championship qualifiers in locales and events around the world.
When he arrived at Arizona State, however, he experienced the unfamiliar feeling of, well, unfamiliarity. Recruiting was new, his roster was new, the competition was new, the events were new and the sites were new.
"To be honest, that has made it exciting," he said this week. "It has been one of the bigger challenges I have experienced in a while."
The Sun Devils have met every one of those challenges -- and exceeded English's expectations. In two short months, ASU has won two regional qualifiers, placed second in the third qualifier it entered, and established itself as a serious threat to win the Women's Triathlon National Championship on Nov. 5 in New Orleans in the fledgling sport of collegiate triathlon.
"The season started really quickly and everybody on our team comes from a different background, but we're all brand new here so we have leaned on each other and come together really fast," said junior Katie Gorczyca, who won the Central Regional Qualifier on Sept. 5 in Naperville, Illinois, and placed second at the West Regional Qualifier on Oct. 8 in Berkeley, California. "The cool thing now is we're all making history together and we all have the same mindset and goals."
Gorczyca (from Las Vegas) spent two years at the Colorado Springs Elite Triathlon Academy while attending the University of Colorado- Colorado Springs before transferring to ASU.
"I was in pretty much the same boat as everybody else when I got here," she said. "Brand new program, new college sport so there are going to be a lot of glitches we have to deal with but I also know how excited everybody is about doing this. It will take time to develop but I knew that that Cliff was a really good coach and so is Erin Densham, our assistant coach, so we have a really strong support system to help."
With all but one team member expected back next season, and Emily Wagner joining the fold from Calgary after health issues forced her to defer this semester, the Sun Devils are set up for future success as well.
Freshman Delaney Bucker (Indianapolis) finished fourth in her first ever collegiate race at the Central Regional Qualifier, and fifth at the West Regional Qualifier.
Graduate student Amy Darlington (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) finished sixth at the East Regional and third at the West Regional. A transfer from Penn, she is the school record holder in the 3K steeplechase and qualified for NCAA Outdoor Regionals in that event last season.
Freshman Sarah Quintero (Round Rock, Texas) finished eighth at the East Regional, freshman Lillie Robinson (Madison, Alabama) was 18th, and freshman Kendal Williams (Anchorage, Alaska) was 22nd.
Freshman Charlotte Ahrens ran her first triathlon at age six and currently competes for the German National Team. The Nuremberg product was second at the German Nationals in 2015. She had friends swimming in the U.S. and she wanted the opportunity to combine her studies with competition at the same venue -- a luxury not afforded in the German university system.
"At first I thought maybe after one year I would go back home because I wasn't sure how everything would look and work," Ahrens said. "Now I have a scholarship for four years and I really like it here. I like my teammates. I think I will do all my studying here."
English plans to take the entire team to the national championship meet so they can experience the atmosphere, but only five student-athletes can compete in the event. Gorczyca, Ahrens, Darlington and Bucker have locked up four of those spots, but English has left the final spot open for Quintero, Robinson and Williams to battle it out over the next two weeks.
The Sun Devils expect to face tough competition from Queens University (Charlotte, North Carolina), which won the East Regional, along with Cal Poly and Colorado, but English likes his team's chances.
"We'll go out on Wednesday for the Saturday meet to scope out the course a few times and get ourselves in the right frame of mind," he said. "We'll put our heads down for the next two to three weeks and come in as prepared as possible."
English said that while the team is small, the support of the athletic department will make it feel larger. Sun Devil Athletics Chief Operating Officer Rocky Harris, a triathlete and avid fan of the sport, will accompany the team to the final meet. English also expects to hear from Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson.
"Every single race this season, Ray has been texting me," English said. "It's really cool to have that kind of support. I've coached in a ton of places and never felt something like this. It's an amazing family, and it's amazing to be a part of it."
A look at the Sun Devils' performance this season
Central Regional Qualifier
Sept. 5, Naperville, Illinois
Team: First place
1st -- Katie Gorczyca (00:58:57.9)
2nd -- Charlotte Ahrens (1:00:03.0)
4th -- Delaney Bucker (1:05:23.1)
East Regional Qualifier
Oct. 2, Greensboro, North Carolina
Team: Second place
6th -- Amy Darlington (1:10:35.9)
8th -- Sarah Quintero (1:11:47.3)
18th -- Lillie Robinson (1:16:29.1)
22nd -- Kendal Williams (1:17:22.0)
West Regional Qualifier
Oct. 8, Berkeley, California
Team: First place
1st – Charlotte Ahrens (1:06:32.5)
2nd – Katie Gorczyca (1:07:05.0)
3rd – Amy Darlington (1:07:38.6)
5th – Delaney Bucker (1:10:18.4)