VERMILLION, S.D.—South Dakota head coach Kyle Joplin is pleased to announce the transfers of Fraziska Neck, Kayla Ribbink and Verena Vesely. All three will join the Coyote triathlon squad this fall.
 
Franziska Neck | Düsseldorf, Germany | Norbert Gymnasium Knechtsteden | Kinesiology and Sport Management
 
A transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne University, Franziska Neck joins the Coyotes with three seasons of eligibility remaining. She joined Ribbink on the Bears' triathlon team the past two years. She took fourth amongst Division II runners at the Pleasant Prairie Qualifier, narrowly missing out on all-region recognition by one place. She went on to place 27th in Division II at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. She was the U20 European champion in duathlon in 2021. Earlier this summer, she placed 13th at the 2022 U20 World Triathlon Championships held in Montreal, Canada, with a clocking of 1:13:29. As a prep athlete in Germany, she also competed in swimming & diving and track & field, winning a state championship title with her swimming & diving team. Neck plans to major in kinesiology and sport management at South Dakota.
 
Kayla Ribbink | Durban, South Africa | Durban Girls' College | Psychology
 
A transfer from Lenoir-Rhyne University, Kayla Ribbink joins the Coyotes with three seasons of eligibility remaining. She joined Neck on the Bears' triathlon team the last two years. Ribbink was a second-team All-American for Division II last season, placing 10th at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. She was also all-region at the Pleasant Prairie Qualifier and garnered CTCA Freshman of the Week last season. Ribbink was awarded Lenoir-Rhyne's Newcomer of the Year. She won the Republic of South Africa's Triathlon National Championships in 2021, previously placing fourth in 2019. She placed in the top-20 of a pair of triathlon cup races in Africa this summer. As a prep athlete in South Africa, she competed in water polo, cross country, track & field, and swimming & diving. A dean's list student, Ribbink plans to major in psychology at South Dakota.
 
Verena Vesely | Innsbruck, Austria | Bischhöfliches Gymnasium Paulinum | Medical Biology
 
A transfer from Washburn University, Verena Vesely joins the Coyotes with three seasons of eligibility remaining. Vesely competed for the Ichabod cross country and track and field teams the past two years. She's also competed internationally for Austria in triathlon as a prep, placing 20th at the 2018 European Cup held in Riga, Latvia. She was fourth at Austria's national triathlon championships and third at the Austrian national cross country championships. She owned a personal best of 17:58 for 5,000 meters. She also played handball as a prep athlete in Austria. She plans to major in medical biology at South Dakota.