SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—South Dakota sophomore transfer Kayla Ribbink paced the Coyote triathlon squad at the Augustana Twilight cross country meet on Friday night at Yankton Trail Park. The meet served as a tune-up ahead of the squad's opening triathlon weekend Sept. 24-25 in Colorado.
 
Ribbink, a native of Durban, South Africa, completed the 5,000-meter course in 19:05.31. She finished in 38th place. This marks her first season with the Coyotes after spending her freshman season at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina.
 
Sophomore Andrea Cernuda, hailing from Valencia, Spain, was the second triathlete across the line in 49th with a time of 19:18.44.
 
Senior Cass Dalbec, a native of Brampton, Ontario, placed 62nd in the field with a 19:30.62 clocking.
 
Rounding out the scoring five in the team competition were junior Verena Vesely and freshman Chelsea Webber. Veseley, a transfer from Washburn and native of Innsbruck, Austria, clocked a time of 20:13.00. Webber, a native Colorado Springs, Colorado, clocked 20:22.93.
 
Senior Teagan Shapansky, hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, clocked 21:16.83. Sophomore Ella Perras out of Regina, Saskatchewan, completed the course in 22:21.41. Senior Tessa Brennan of Aurora, Illinois, posted a time of 22:34.23.
 
USD Triathlon finished 10th in the team race against a myriad of collegiate cross country programs.
 
South Dakota triathlon officially opens its triathlon season on Sept. 24 at the Oktoberfest Invitational in Longmont, Colorado. The Coyotes will also take part in the Division I Relays in Denver, Colorado, the following day on Sept. 25.