TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Triathlon Head Coach Cliff English announced the addition of four talented student-athletes as a part of a strong 2021 signing class.
The Sun Devil Triathlon coaching staff travelled all over North America to earn the signatures of four highly-skilled triathlete prospects. Alexe Coursol, Maria Jose Lopez Aguirre, Camille Buchanan, and Evan Welch will join the four-time defending National Champions for the 2021-22 season.
"We are really excited about the incoming class for fall 2021," Coach English remarked. "A talented group of four athletes with significant triathlon experience."
Arizona State adds four promising signees to an already impressive group of triathletes. Learn more about each member of the Sun Devil Triathlon signing class:
Alexe Coursol (Montreal, Québec, Canada)
Alexe Coursol continues the successful Canadian pipeline for the Sun Devil Triathlon program. The 2019 Canada Sprint Triathlon National Champion has established herself as one of the top up-and-coming triathletes in her region. She represented Canada while participating in the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Switzerland, where she finished 48th. Thanks to her success on the circuit in 2019, she was named Féminin Junior Athlete of the year by Triathlon Québec.
"A very strong and talented all-around triathlete who already has a lot of international racing experience," Coach English observed. "She will certainly be a big contributor to the team and will continue the tradition we have established here at ASU with a strong Canadian contingent."
Back in March, Coursol finished 14th at the 2020 Clermont PATCO Sprint Triathlon Pan-American Cup, an elite division race. In total, she has seven Top-15 finishes in women's elite class racing. Coursol brings extensive triathlon experience, having has competed Triathlons since she was seven years old.
Coursol joins Kyla Roy (Winnipeg) and Hannah Henry (Victoria) as recent members of the program hailing from our neighbors to the North.
"She will be following in the footsteps of two time individual national champion Hannah Henry and last year's national champion Kyla Roy," Coach English mentioned.
In addition, Head Coach Cliff English is also Montreal, giving him plenty in common with Coursol.
"Very excited about this talented young French-Canadian athlete joining us at ASU for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English remarked. "She hails from the south shore of Montreal very close to where I grew up. Time for me to brush up on my French."
MJ Lopez Aguirre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico)
MJ Lopez Aguirre is the first Sun Devil Triathlon signee from Mexico, where the sport of triathlon continues to grow. Lopez Aguirre is currently a member of the Mexican National Elite Team, after previously competing for the Junior Elite squad. The 2019 Silver Medalist at the Mexican Olympics is strong in all three phases of Triathlon.
"Thrilled to announce Maria José joining our team from Mexico," Coach English exclaimed. "MJ is a very talented all-around triathlete. Strong in all three sports and comes to us with a good amount of international competition experience."
Competing in her first triathlon at eight years old, Lopez Aguirre was extremely successful as a youth. She won the Iron Kids USA National Championship in 2012 and 2013 and was the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior National Champion in 2013 She has continued to develop her skills as a teenager and is now regarded as one of the fastest-rising triathletes in her region.
The 2015 USA Triathlon All-American continues to test her skills at big events, making her Huatulco World Cup debut in 2019 and finishing sixth at the 2019 Ixtapa Continental Cup (Mexican Elite Championship). She also placed sixth at both the 2019 Monterrey CAMTRI Triathlon American Championships and 2018 Salinas CAMTRI Triathlon American YOG Qualifier. Lopez Aguirre is an extremely gifted cyclist, having earned high finishes in several BMX and USA Cycling events.
"She is a wonderful young woman with a lot of passion and determination," Coach English added. "I'm excited to see her grow and develop as an athlete and person with us at ASU."
Camille Buchanan (Chicago, Illinois)
Camille Buchanan joins the Sun Devil Triathlon program from Illinois, where she attended Bartlett High School. Arizona State has enjoyed success in the past recruiting in the Midwest, with Buchanan's signing representing another significant addition from the region.
"Camille is one of our two American signees this year for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English mentioned. "Hailing from the Chicago suburbs she joins current Junior Audrey Ernst who is also from the Chicago area."
Buchanan comes from a family of runners and has been racing from a young age. She competed in her first Triathlon when she was eight years old and has continued to develop her skills throughout the years. She has trained with Multisport Madness (MMTT) for the past eight years. Buchanan and her sister are both members of the Bartlett High School cross country and track team.
"She has been a very consistent performer on the USAT junior elite circuit over the last few years and has shown steady progression and improvement," Coach English observed. "She is also an accomplished high school cross-country runner."
At the USA Triathlon Junior National Championships, Buchanan competed alongside several current Sun Devils and her future teammate Evan Welch. She finished eight at the event that included 75 junior elite racers. She also earned Top-10 finishes in 2019 at the Monroe Junior Elite Cup, Pleasant Prairie Junior Elite Cup, and Richmond Junior Elite Cup. In 2018, she won the Individual Championship at the Monroe Junior Elite Cup, beating out several older participants.
"We are excited about Camille joining the team," Coach English added. "I am quite certain this young woman will continue her upward progress here at ASU."
Evan Welch (Sparta, Tennessee)
Evan Welch joins the Sun Devil Triathlon program from Tennessee, where she attended White County High School. The three-time USA Triathlon All-American will bring plenty of racing experience with her to Tempe, having competed in several major USAT events.
"Evan is one of our two American signees this year for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English mentioned. "Evan has a very strong background as a junior elite triathlon circuit regular and a strong cross-country runner."
Welch was a four-year varsity athlete in multiple sports, helping her evolve and diversify her skill set. She was a member of the varsity cross country, swimming, and track teams from her freshman to senior season. The 2019 Tennessee State High School Triathlon Champion gets it done in competition and in the classroom, as she is an honors student boasting a 4.0 GPA.
At the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Switzerland, Welch represented Team USA and finished ninth in the event. She placed 11th at the USA Triathlon Junior National Championships, competing alongside future Sun Devil Triathlon teammates. Welch also earned Top-10 finishes at the 2019 Flatlands Junior Elite Cup and 2019 Monroe Junior Elite Cup.
"I've watched her over the last few years constantly improve and get faster and faster," Coach English observed. "I'm really excited about her joining our team and seeing what we can accomplish with her in the next four years!"
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Triathlon program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilTri), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundeviltri), and visit our website (thesundevils.com)
The Sun Devil Triathlon coaching staff travelled all over North America to earn the signatures of four highly-skilled triathlete prospects. Alexe Coursol, Maria Jose Lopez Aguirre, Camille Buchanan, and Evan Welch will join the four-time defending National Champions for the 2021-22 season.
"We are really excited about the incoming class for fall 2021," Coach English remarked. "A talented group of four athletes with significant triathlon experience."
Arizona State adds four promising signees to an already impressive group of triathletes. Learn more about each member of the Sun Devil Triathlon signing class:
Alexe Coursol (Montreal, Québec, Canada)
Alexe Coursol continues the successful Canadian pipeline for the Sun Devil Triathlon program. The 2019 Canada Sprint Triathlon National Champion has established herself as one of the top up-and-coming triathletes in her region. She represented Canada while participating in the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Switzerland, where she finished 48th. Thanks to her success on the circuit in 2019, she was named Féminin Junior Athlete of the year by Triathlon Québec.
"A very strong and talented all-around triathlete who already has a lot of international racing experience," Coach English observed. "She will certainly be a big contributor to the team and will continue the tradition we have established here at ASU with a strong Canadian contingent."
Back in March, Coursol finished 14th at the 2020 Clermont PATCO Sprint Triathlon Pan-American Cup, an elite division race. In total, she has seven Top-15 finishes in women's elite class racing. Coursol brings extensive triathlon experience, having has competed Triathlons since she was seven years old.
Coursol joins Kyla Roy (Winnipeg) and Hannah Henry (Victoria) as recent members of the program hailing from our neighbors to the North.
"She will be following in the footsteps of two time individual national champion Hannah Henry and last year's national champion Kyla Roy," Coach English mentioned.
In addition, Head Coach Cliff English is also Montreal, giving him plenty in common with Coursol.
"Very excited about this talented young French-Canadian athlete joining us at ASU for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English remarked. "She hails from the south shore of Montreal very close to where I grew up. Time for me to brush up on my French."
MJ Lopez Aguirre (San Luis Potosi, Mexico)
MJ Lopez Aguirre is the first Sun Devil Triathlon signee from Mexico, where the sport of triathlon continues to grow. Lopez Aguirre is currently a member of the Mexican National Elite Team, after previously competing for the Junior Elite squad. The 2019 Silver Medalist at the Mexican Olympics is strong in all three phases of Triathlon.
"Thrilled to announce Maria José joining our team from Mexico," Coach English exclaimed. "MJ is a very talented all-around triathlete. Strong in all three sports and comes to us with a good amount of international competition experience."
Competing in her first triathlon at eight years old, Lopez Aguirre was extremely successful as a youth. She won the Iron Kids USA National Championship in 2012 and 2013 and was the USA Triathlon Youth and Junior National Champion in 2013 She has continued to develop her skills as a teenager and is now regarded as one of the fastest-rising triathletes in her region.
The 2015 USA Triathlon All-American continues to test her skills at big events, making her Huatulco World Cup debut in 2019 and finishing sixth at the 2019 Ixtapa Continental Cup (Mexican Elite Championship). She also placed sixth at both the 2019 Monterrey CAMTRI Triathlon American Championships and 2018 Salinas CAMTRI Triathlon American YOG Qualifier. Lopez Aguirre is an extremely gifted cyclist, having earned high finishes in several BMX and USA Cycling events.
"She is a wonderful young woman with a lot of passion and determination," Coach English added. "I'm excited to see her grow and develop as an athlete and person with us at ASU."
Camille Buchanan (Chicago, Illinois)
Camille Buchanan joins the Sun Devil Triathlon program from Illinois, where she attended Bartlett High School. Arizona State has enjoyed success in the past recruiting in the Midwest, with Buchanan's signing representing another significant addition from the region.
"Camille is one of our two American signees this year for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English mentioned. "Hailing from the Chicago suburbs she joins current Junior Audrey Ernst who is also from the Chicago area."
Buchanan comes from a family of runners and has been racing from a young age. She competed in her first Triathlon when she was eight years old and has continued to develop her skills throughout the years. She has trained with Multisport Madness (MMTT) for the past eight years. Buchanan and her sister are both members of the Bartlett High School cross country and track team.
"She has been a very consistent performer on the USAT junior elite circuit over the last few years and has shown steady progression and improvement," Coach English observed. "She is also an accomplished high school cross-country runner."
At the USA Triathlon Junior National Championships, Buchanan competed alongside several current Sun Devils and her future teammate Evan Welch. She finished eight at the event that included 75 junior elite racers. She also earned Top-10 finishes in 2019 at the Monroe Junior Elite Cup, Pleasant Prairie Junior Elite Cup, and Richmond Junior Elite Cup. In 2018, she won the Individual Championship at the Monroe Junior Elite Cup, beating out several older participants.
"We are excited about Camille joining the team," Coach English added. "I am quite certain this young woman will continue her upward progress here at ASU."
Evan Welch (Sparta, Tennessee)
Evan Welch joins the Sun Devil Triathlon program from Tennessee, where she attended White County High School. The three-time USA Triathlon All-American will bring plenty of racing experience with her to Tempe, having competed in several major USAT events.
"Evan is one of our two American signees this year for the upcoming fall 2021 season," Coach English mentioned. "Evan has a very strong background as a junior elite triathlon circuit regular and a strong cross-country runner."
Welch was a four-year varsity athlete in multiple sports, helping her evolve and diversify her skill set. She was a member of the varsity cross country, swimming, and track teams from her freshman to senior season. The 2019 Tennessee State High School Triathlon Champion gets it done in competition and in the classroom, as she is an honors student boasting a 4.0 GPA.
At the 2019 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Switzerland, Welch represented Team USA and finished ninth in the event. She placed 11th at the USA Triathlon Junior National Championships, competing alongside future Sun Devil Triathlon teammates. Welch also earned Top-10 finishes at the 2019 Flatlands Junior Elite Cup and 2019 Monroe Junior Elite Cup.
"I've watched her over the last few years constantly improve and get faster and faster," Coach English observed. "I'm really excited about her joining our team and seeing what we can accomplish with her in the next four years!"
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Triathlon program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilTri), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundeviltri), and visit our website (thesundevils.com)