The Meet

Members of South Dakota's triathlon squad will compete against Arizona State and San Francisco at The Dual in the Desert NCAA Challenge on Saturday in Tempe, Arizona. The competition, styled as a time trial competition, will feature a series of events including a run, bicycle skills obstacle course, team bike ride and various swim races.
 

The Schedule

9 a.m. 3,000-meter run
10 a.m. Bicycle skills obstacle course
1:30 p.m. 4-mile bike
3 p.m. Swim races begin
 
All times listed are converted to Central Daylight Time.
 

The Coyotes

South Dakota sent a limited squad to the season opener at Pleasant Prairie where a pair of freshmen shined. Freshman Micah Poellet, a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, took eighth in her first collegiate meet as the Coyotes' top finisher. Freshman Andrea Cernuda, hailing from Valencia, Spain, was slightly over a minute behind in 11th place overall. That duo will compete at the Dual in the Desert alongside USD's first-ever All-American Leah Drengenberg and fourth-year junior Maddie Lavin. A standout cross country runner and swimmer, Lavin joined the triathlon squad in the 2020-21 season. This will be her first time sporting the Coyote triathlon singlet.
 

One Last Thing

Saturday's triangular is the only competition breaking up a six-week gap between regional qualifiers. The Coyotes' next chance at qualifying for the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship is at the Smith Mountain Lake Qualifier on Oct. 16 in Huddleston, Virginia.