The St. Thomas Aquinas College Women's Triathlon team has secured a return trip to the upcoming NCAA/USA Triathlon National Championships by virtue of their Top 5 finish in Division II competition on Saturday afternoon at the East Regional Qualifier in Huddleston, Virginia.
On the day, junior Mary Dristle and sophomore Kristie Hanlon had exceptional races at the regional event. Dristle set a personal best on the bicycle with a time of 36:48, giving her a 24th place finish in a time of 1:21.37. Hanlon also excelled on the bike with a time of 34:50 and crossed the finish line in 1:28.08 for a 30th place finish. Teammates Tyiana Nunez, Sylvie Bischof and Jadyn Vargas also made significant contributions to give the Spartans the chance to return to Tempe, Arizona.
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, by winning a National Championship in only the program's second year of existence.
Next up for St. Thomas Aquinas College is date at the NCAA/USA Triathlon National Championships in Tempe, Arizona on November 16. The event will feature some of the best women's collegiate triathlon programs and athletes from Divisions I, II & III.