Contact: Rachel Balinao, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, rabalinao@noctrl.edu

TEMPE, Ariz. (Nov. 8, 2025)- For the fourth straight year, the North Central College women's triathlon team has been crowned the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Champions, while senior Bethany Smeed captured the 2025 Collegiate Division III Individual National Title.

The National Championship featured competitors across all divisions through three waves, consisting of a 750 meter swim, 20 kilometer bike, and five kilometer run.

In the first wave of the day, Sydney Sprayberry and Olivia Durbin set the tone early for the Cardinals. Sprayberry powered ahead to the front on the bike leg and placed third in the wave with a time of one hour, twenty minutes, and twenty-eight seconds.

Durbin battled back through the bike and run segments to finish runner-up in the wave, clocking in one hour, seventeen minutes and thirty-four seconds. 

The second wave featured Cardinals Smeed, Jordan Haupt, and Taylor Robinson. Smeed fought to close the bike pack gap before unleashing a dominant run to finish in one hour, ten minutes, and thirteen seconds, earning the 2025 USA Triathlon Collegiate Division III National Championship and the first national title of her career in her senior season.

After securing the title, Smeed was asked how it feels to finish out on top in her last race as a Cardinal, "It feels absolutely amazing," Smeed said. "I did everything I could no matter where I finished. My teammates absolutely crushed it today, and so many of them had their best race to finish off the season."

Haupt recorded a time of one hour, sixteen minutes, and eight seconds, earning the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship Division III Freshmen of the Year honors for her performance. 

Robinson continued the Cardinals' momentum in the second wave, staying in the mix with the pack throughout and finishing in a time of one hour, seventeen minutes and fourteen seconds.

In the final wave of the day, Keeley Mick was the lone Division III athlete and delivered a standout performance against Division I and Division II competition. Mick finished in one hour, ten minutes, and thirty seconds to place second among Division III competitors, just seconds behind teammate Smeed. 

North Central secured the team title with 450 points, followed by Trine University in second with 392 points and Central College in third (272). Willamette University placed fourth with 261 points, Millikin University finished fifth with 178 points and Concordia University Wisconsin rounded out division III in sixth with 78 points.

Smeed and Mick were both named All-Americans following their finishes, while head coach Tyler Woodward received National Coach of the Year after guiding the Cardinals to another dominant season. Woodward is a three-time National Champion in his third season at North Central.

North Central has now collected seven National Championships in the past eight years, bringing home its fourth straight title. The women's triathlon program becomes the first team in North Central athletics history to win four consecutive National Championships.