Triathlon Claims Team Victory in St. George
ST. GEORGE, UT --- Sun Devil Triathlon earned first at the St. George NCAA Qualifier in its final regular season competition with three triathletes placing in the top-10 of the NCAA Division I race. Junior Liberty Ricca raced in her Olympic-distance debut for the U23 competition where she finished on the podium with a bronze medal.
"I'm always very proud of how this team competes," said head coach Cliff English. "On a very challenging course and a very tough day in racing, they were able to dig deep and race as a team to come home with another team victory."
In the collegiate race, freshman Alexe Coursol led the Sun Devils with a fourth place finish for her first official race in maroon and gold. Coursol completed the swim competition seven seconds behind first place with a time of 09:59. Fellow freshmen Camille Buchanan placed fifth, while Evan Welch placed 11th. Junior Audrey Ernst placed sixth for ASU and senior Kira Stanley rounded out the team in 13th place.
"We're looking forward to the sharpening our skills in the next two weeks and putting it all together for Nationals," stated Coach English.
Ricca was eighth overall in her U23 event. She clocked in at 02:12:17 and had fastest swim time (20:46) of the age group.
"Her race was brilliant and incredibly well executed," Coach English said. "She was out there with National Team members and a few women who've competed at the Olympic Games. This was her debut at the Olympic distance which is almost twice the length as the course we usually compete in. She paced herself impeccably as she took all the nutrition needed into her plan. I know she's feeling extremely confident for our National Championships on Nov. 13 and her Junior Pan Am Games experience as well."
The Sun Devils will conclude their season on Nov. 13 in Tempe with the 2021 Sun Devil Draft Legal Classic Triathlon presented by Valley Toyota Dealers. The city is host to all three divisions hosted by USA Triathlon along with community competitions.
More about the events can be found here on the official website.
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