Contact: Sam Fretto, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu

Results

Clermont, Fla. (Nov. 9, 2024)- The North Central College women's triathlon team completed the three-peat winning the 2024 USA Triathlon Collegiate Division III National Championship this past weekend. Hailey Poe has also four-peated winning the Individual National Championship, going a perfect four for four in her collegiate career. The national championship took place over the course of two days in Clermont, Fla., at Lake Louisa State Park. 

The participants started the event Friday with the 750-meter swim and finished the 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run on Saturday.

Poe, now a four-time individual national champion, completed the triathlon in one hour, five minutes, and three seconds. She got off to a strong start on the swim with a time of 10 minutes and 50 seconds, which was fourth among Division III competitors. Poe was able to come away first in the bike section with a time of 31 minutes and 59 seconds while finishing the run in second, running a time of 20 minutes and 33 seconds. Poe finished a minute and three seconds before the next Division III competitor.

Charlotte Kumler finished third, with a time of one hour, six minutes, and 40 seconds. Kumler got off to a great start in the swim, setting a time of 10 minutes and 34 seconds, which had her in second place. She would remain in the top three after the biking portion with a time of 32 minutes and 10 seconds. In the run, she took 22 minutes and five seconds, which was sixth. With her third-place finish, this is Kumler's third top-three finish in the national championship, making her a three-time All-American. 

Bethany Smeed took home fourth place in the national championship, finishing the race in one hour, six minutes, and 57 seconds. Her splits were 11 minutes and 37 seconds swimming, 33 minutes and 18 seconds biking, and 20 minutes and 17 seconds running. Smeed's running time was the best among Division III. This marks Smeed's third top-five finish in the national championship, and she now becomes a three-time All-American. 

Freshman Keeley Mick earned a top-six finish in the national championship with a time of one hour eight minutes and 28 seconds. Mick earned a top-five spot in the swimming section with a time of 10 minutes and 53 seconds. She kept going strong through the biking portion with another top-five finish of 33 minutes and 16 seconds. She ran a time of 22 minutes and 23 seconds. Mick, who earned All-Region honors, now adds All-American as well as Freshman of the Year to her young resume. 

The final top-10 finish for the Cardinals was Sydney Sprayberry, as she completed the race in one hour, 12 minutes, and 30 seconds. Sprayberry completed the swimming course in 11 minutes and two seconds, while biking in 33 minutes and 11 seconds and finishing the run in 26 minutes and 21 seconds. This is Sprayberry's first time in the top 10 of the national championship. 

Abigail Anderson completed the race in one hour, 14 minutes, and 37 seconds; meanwhile, Taylin Lemke finished with a time of one hour, 14 minutes, and 55 seconds.

North Central came away with 525 points with Trine University in second scoring 309, Central College (261) in third place, Willamette University (247) placed fourth, and in fifth, Calvin University (213). 

Poe becomes the first North Central athlete to win the same competition four straight years in a women's championship. Tyler Woodward, in his second year as head coach for North Central, is a two time national champion. 

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