Colorado Mesa Women Win Fourth Straight NCAA D-II Regional Title

STOCKTON, Mo.— Led by Division II regional champion Megan Buchanan and runner-up Shannon Feran, the Colorado Mesa University women’s triathlon team had seven of the top eight individual finishers en-route to a dominating win and their fourth consecutive West Regional Qualifier title on Saturday during the Heartland Triathlon Cup at Stockton First Beach.

Buchanan became the second Maverick to win a regional individual title, joining Mazzy Jackson (2019). The Windermere, Florida native won Saturday’s Division II race in one hour, three minutes, 30 seconds.

Feran was second in 1:04.22 while Natalie Mitchell took fourth in 1:06.10 while leading five straight Mavericks across the finish line.

Drury’s Jayme-Sue Vermaas was third in 1:04.26, four seconds behind Feran, who came off the bike just behind Vermaas, before passing the Panther during the run segment.

In the team battle, the Mavericks amassed 117 team points to easily out-pace Drury (86) and Black Hills State (64). CMU, under the direction of new head coach Jen Mathe, in charge of the Mavs for the first time, was also victorious in 2018, 2019 and 2021. The 2020 fall collegiate season was canceled.

Buchanan was a wire-to-wire winner as she exited the swim transition in 10:41.06 before turning in the fastest bike time of 32:12 on a 3-lap, 12-mile course. The redshirt sophomore then finished 5-kilometer run course in 20:07.

Feran, a former Maverick swimmer and track and field athlete, was second out of the water after a 750-meter swim in 9:50 and posted the second fastest run time (19:42) amongst the 26 Division II competitors. She had a bike time of 32:44 and spent 2:07 in the two transitions.

Buchanan’s win was worth 26 team points while Feran scored 25 in the new positive point format being used in collegiate triathlon this season. Mitchell scored 24 points while Paloma Suarez Davila placed fifth in 1:06.22 to complete CMU’s team score with 23 points.

Josie Williams, sixth in 1:06.34, Torin Lackmann (7th, 1:07.12) and Nadine Klive (8th, 1:07.33) displaced other finishers.

Athletes from five different Division II schools competed although only three posted team scores.

The Mavericks will continue their season on Oct. 30 at the Bearathlon, hosted by the Cal-Berkeley club team and then wrap up the fall at the Nov. 12 Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships in Tempe, Arizona.