PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wisc. – Sun Devil triathlon looks to start their season off on a high note, heading to the Midwest for the Central Regional Qualifier taking place in the badger state. The race is set for this Sunday (Sept. 1, 5 a.m. MST) in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc.
"I am very excited to start this championship season heading into our fourth year as a program," coach Cliff English said. "We are traveling we a very strong team of experienced triathletes for this first race of the year."
Hosted at the Rec Plex in Pleasant Prarie, the event features a 750 m swim (two laps), 20 km bike (three laps) and a 5 km run (two laps). The race represents the first opportunity that the Sun Devils have to qualify for November's national championship right at home in Tempe. While there are a variety of technical ways the women can qualify to win it all, they look to meet the qualification criteria through placing top-two as a team at one of the three regional qualifiers.
ASU has able to do this in their very first race in every season since their inception in 2015 and are primed to do it again this year with the wealth of talent head coach Cliff English was able to both recruit and retain.
"We are looking to compete fiercely this year and start off on a strong note," English said. " Every year the competition gets stronger and deeper, and that is a great sign for the growth of our sport in the NCAA. We have to keep raising our bar as we know everyone else is."
Catherine Giuseffi, Audrey Ernst, Kyla Roy, Kira Stanley, Kenzi Wilson, Olivia Jenks and Sarah Quintero will compete for the maroon and gold in the season opener. All return from successful summer slates beginning with Stanley, who placed second at the USA Triathlon Junior Elite Championship.
Wilson also took second among women, just 13 seconds from taking first, at the Eagle Creek Triathlon as one of the youngest female competitors in the field. Roy won the U23 Canadian Championships in Kelona, BC while Ernst took first at the U.S. event in Virginia. Giuseffi was also the New Jersey state champion in a busy summer schedule for the Sun Devils.
Keep up with the action of Sun Devils triathlon all season-long by following @SunDevilTri on Twitter.
"I am very excited to start this championship season heading into our fourth year as a program," coach Cliff English said. "We are traveling we a very strong team of experienced triathletes for this first race of the year."
Hosted at the Rec Plex in Pleasant Prarie, the event features a 750 m swim (two laps), 20 km bike (three laps) and a 5 km run (two laps). The race represents the first opportunity that the Sun Devils have to qualify for November's national championship right at home in Tempe. While there are a variety of technical ways the women can qualify to win it all, they look to meet the qualification criteria through placing top-two as a team at one of the three regional qualifiers.
ASU has able to do this in their very first race in every season since their inception in 2015 and are primed to do it again this year with the wealth of talent head coach Cliff English was able to both recruit and retain.
"We are looking to compete fiercely this year and start off on a strong note," English said. " Every year the competition gets stronger and deeper, and that is a great sign for the growth of our sport in the NCAA. We have to keep raising our bar as we know everyone else is."
Catherine Giuseffi, Audrey Ernst, Kyla Roy, Kira Stanley, Kenzi Wilson, Olivia Jenks and Sarah Quintero will compete for the maroon and gold in the season opener. All return from successful summer slates beginning with Stanley, who placed second at the USA Triathlon Junior Elite Championship.
Wilson also took second among women, just 13 seconds from taking first, at the Eagle Creek Triathlon as one of the youngest female competitors in the field. Roy won the U23 Canadian Championships in Kelona, BC while Ernst took first at the U.S. event in Virginia. Giuseffi was also the New Jersey state champion in a busy summer schedule for the Sun Devils.
Keep up with the action of Sun Devils triathlon all season-long by following @SunDevilTri on Twitter.