ST. GEORGE, Utah—South Dakota fourth-year junior Leah Drengenberg placed eighth in the St. George Regional Qualifier Division I race on Saturday at Quail Creek State Park.
 
Drengenberg clocked a time of 1:08:31 on the course. She was the fourth athlete out of the water, recording a time of 10:15 for the 750-meter swim. She completed the 20-kilometer bike in 34:10 and the 5,000-meter run in 23:01.
 
A pair of Coyote freshmen also raced at Quail Creek State Park this weekend, competing in the junior women's race for the 2021 Americas Triathlon Championships on Sunday.
 
Freshman Andrea Cernuda took 10th in the junior competition with a time of 1:06:49. Freshman Ella Perras finished 20th in the race with a time of 1:17:26. Sunday marked Perras' first complete race as a Coyote.
 
South Dakota has qualified for the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship which will be held on Nov. 13 in Tempe, Arizona.
 
St. George Regional Qualifier (Div. I)
1. Kira Gupta-Baltazar, USF, 1:04:31
2. Gillian Cridge, USF, 1:04:52
3. Freya Mckinley, Denver, 1:05:13
4. Alexe Coursol, Arizona State, 1:05:23
5. Camille Buchanan, Arizona State, 1:06:20
6. Audrey Ernst, Arizona State, 1:07:20
7. Yasmin Rieger, Wagner, 1:08:15
8. Leah Drengenberg, South Dakota, 1:08:31
9. Katherine Badham, USF, 1:08:43
10. Avarie Faulkner, Denver, 1:09:05
11. Evan Welch, Arizona State, 1:09:19
12. Clara Normand, Wagner, 1:09:32
13. Kira Stanley, Arizona State, 1:10:21
14. Emily Pincus, Denver, 1:10:37
15. Madeline Gagnon, Wagner, 1:11:13
16. Chloe Ramirez, USF, 1:12:09
17. Maddie Perkins, USF, 1:13:22
18. Amanda Ballard, Denver, 1:13:59
19. Maia Vitoratos, Wagner, 1:14:08
20. Til Ocvirk, Wagner, 1:16:11
21. Cameron Seeley, ETSU, 1:19:24
22. Allyson Meehan, Wagner, 1:21:06
23. Olivia Ebenstein, Denver, 1:21:54