VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota head women's triathlon coach coach Kyle Joplin is pleased to announce the signing of Andrea Cernuda and Micah Poellet to National Letters of Intent.
 
"We are very excited about Micah and Andrea joining the Coyotes," said Joplin. "Both athletes have an exceptional running background and should make an immediate impact on our team."
 
Andrea Cernuda | Valencia, Spain | Boise HS (Idaho)
 
Andrea Cernuda hails from Valencia, Spain, but has spent her high school career as a foreign exchange student at Boise High School in Idaho. She placed third in the elite developmental race at the Clermont triathlon last March, completing the course in 1:04:23.2. She took sixth at the 2020 Flatlands Junior Elite Cup in Des Moines. Cernuda has been a part of the dominate Boise cross country program, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation during the 2020 season. She ran on the Braves state title team at the 2020 Idaho Cross Country Championships and qualified for the Nike Cross Nationals. Cernuda owns a personal best of 18:31 for 5,000 meters on the cross country course. She also swam for the Braves' state champion swimming and diving team in 2020. Cernuda plans to major in either biomedical engineering or German.
 
Micah Poellet | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Linn-Mar HS
 
Micah Poellet is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and trains with the Z3 High Performance Triathlon Team. She placed 10th at the 2019 USA Triathlon Junior Elite National Championship in 1:03:35. During the 2019 Junior Elite Cup circuit, she posted top-15 finishes at the Flatlands, Monroe and Pleasant Prairie races. She posted an eighth-place finish at the 2020 Flatlands Junior Elite Cup in Des Moines. A standout cross country runner at Linn-Mar High School, she captured a state championship at the 2018 Iowa Class 4A Cross Country Championships in 18:03.40. Poellet added two more top-five state meet finishes as a junior and senior. She's the 2020 Mississippi Valley Conference Athlete of the Year and a four-time all-MVC first team honoree. Poellet competed for the Lions' track and field and swimming and diving teams as well, placing at the 2018 Iowa Track and Field Championships in the 1,500 meters and 3,000 meters. She owns personal bests of 4:43 for 1,500 meters, 10:09 for 3,000 meters, 17:52 for 5,000 meters on the cross country course and 5:46 for the 500 yard freestyle swim. She is an academic all-conference and academic all-state honoree for cross country. Poellet plans to compete for the Coyote track and field program in addition to triathlon.
 
The pair will enroll at and be eligible to compete for South Dakota in the fall of 2021.