TEMPE, Ariz. – In a continued effort to further grow the sport of triathlon, Sun Devil Athletics, in conjunction with USA Triathlon, invited administrators from across the nation for a dual-purpose banquet – to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Title IX and to provide information to help more schools add a collegiate triathlon program.
Highlighting the event was a panel Q&A with former Sun Devil Athletics COO and current USA Triathon CEO Rocky Harris, three-time Olympian and current ASU triathlon assistant coach Erin Densham, member of the 2016 national champion triathlon team Amy Darlington, Grasky Endurance Coaching owner and champion triathlete Stephanie Grasky, and two-time ITU World Cup Champion Renee Tomlin.
For Densham, the opportunity of collegiate athletics, especially for women, is worlds different from her home country of Australia.
"This – college athletics – is not something you see in any other country. And I wish it did exist in other countries, because it creates so many opportunities for women."
Densham continued, noting that the team's goal goes beyond the collegiate experience.
"A lot of these girls have aspirations to represent their country, so while we're excited for the national championship, it's so much bigger than that. We're looking at two days from now, but also one year's time, two, four, and even eight year's time."
Harris, who recently moved from ASU to USA Triathlon, said that "USA Triathlon has built the infrastructure for long term success, now our job is to show people how cool triathlon is in order to increase participation numbers. This is an exciting time."
Tying in a personal note, Harris continued, "I have three daughters, so I want nothing more than to create opportunities for women."
For Darlington, competing in triathlon gave her the opportunity to earn a Master's degree at ASU while also competing in a new sport.
"It's not just a sport; I got a great graduate degree in Sports Law & Business, so triathlon has opened more doors than just competing in my sport," said Darlington. "The addition of triathlon [at ASU] gives athletes another sport to compete in, creating even more opportunities in women's athletics."
The panel discussion was moderated by Amy Wilson, the Director of Inclusion at the NCAA office in Indianapolis.
Former Sun Devil track/cross country student-athlete and current ASU history faculty/lecturer Victoria Jackson also spoke early in the event about how a short 37 words that comprised Title IX made it possible for her and so many other women to compete in sports.
As Jackson recounted, Title IX reads as follows: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
ASU Senior Woman Administrator Deana Garner-Smith had a significant part in both the organization of the event as well as the run of show. Assistant Director of Athletics Compliance Peter Turney, USA Triathlon Board of Directors President Barry Siff, and USA Triathlon COO Tim Yount also had significant parts in the evening's program.
As USA Triathlon has 10 years (from 2014 to 2024) to build the sport to 40 NCAA programs for triathlon to officially become an NCAA championship, Yount excitedly told the attendees, "It's not just about 40, it's about forever. Before we're done, we want to reach the whole country."
ASU triathlon has another first this weekend, hosting their first collegiate national championship on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Tempe Town Lake (10:30 am). The Sun Devils will look to defend their national title from 2016, the team's first year of existence.
Highlighting the event was a panel Q&A with former Sun Devil Athletics COO and current USA Triathon CEO Rocky Harris, three-time Olympian and current ASU triathlon assistant coach Erin Densham, member of the 2016 national champion triathlon team Amy Darlington, Grasky Endurance Coaching owner and champion triathlete Stephanie Grasky, and two-time ITU World Cup Champion Renee Tomlin.
For Densham, the opportunity of collegiate athletics, especially for women, is worlds different from her home country of Australia.
"This – college athletics – is not something you see in any other country. And I wish it did exist in other countries, because it creates so many opportunities for women."
Densham continued, noting that the team's goal goes beyond the collegiate experience.
"A lot of these girls have aspirations to represent their country, so while we're excited for the national championship, it's so much bigger than that. We're looking at two days from now, but also one year's time, two, four, and even eight year's time."
Harris, who recently moved from ASU to USA Triathlon, said that "USA Triathlon has built the infrastructure for long term success, now our job is to show people how cool triathlon is in order to increase participation numbers. This is an exciting time."
Tying in a personal note, Harris continued, "I have three daughters, so I want nothing more than to create opportunities for women."
For Darlington, competing in triathlon gave her the opportunity to earn a Master's degree at ASU while also competing in a new sport.
"It's not just a sport; I got a great graduate degree in Sports Law & Business, so triathlon has opened more doors than just competing in my sport," said Darlington. "The addition of triathlon [at ASU] gives athletes another sport to compete in, creating even more opportunities in women's athletics."
The panel discussion was moderated by Amy Wilson, the Director of Inclusion at the NCAA office in Indianapolis.
Former Sun Devil track/cross country student-athlete and current ASU history faculty/lecturer Victoria Jackson also spoke early in the event about how a short 37 words that comprised Title IX made it possible for her and so many other women to compete in sports.
As Jackson recounted, Title IX reads as follows: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
ASU Senior Woman Administrator Deana Garner-Smith had a significant part in both the organization of the event as well as the run of show. Assistant Director of Athletics Compliance Peter Turney, USA Triathlon Board of Directors President Barry Siff, and USA Triathlon COO Tim Yount also had significant parts in the evening's program.
As USA Triathlon has 10 years (from 2014 to 2024) to build the sport to 40 NCAA programs for triathlon to officially become an NCAA championship, Yount excitedly told the attendees, "It's not just about 40, it's about forever. Before we're done, we want to reach the whole country."
ASU triathlon has another first this weekend, hosting their first collegiate national championship on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Tempe Town Lake (10:30 am). The Sun Devils will look to defend their national title from 2016, the team's first year of existence.