The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Triathlon team has secured a spot in the upcoming NCAA/USA Triathlon National Championships by virtue of their Top 5 finish in Division II competition on Saturday morning at the East Regional Qualifier in Huddleston, Virginia.

On the day, sophomore Mary Dristle was the first to cross the finish line for the Spartans (15th overall), with a time of 1:20:47. Next, Kristie Hanlon completed her morning, coming in 18th overall at 1:27:43. Teammates Tyiana Nunez, Sylvie Bischof, Amber Lubaszka, Jadyn Vargas, Jennyfer Huerta and Stefania Georgiou also contributed to the historic day for STAC.

The Spartans will take time to celebrate their successes at the East Regional Qualifier, however Head Coach George Erazo and his staff will quickly get back to work with the team, as they prepare to try make history yet again, by winning a National Championship in the program's first year of existence.

Next up for St. Thomas Aquinas College is date at the NCAA/USA Triathlon National Championships in Tempe, Arizona on November 4. The event will feature some of the best collegiate triathlon programs from Divisions I, II & III.