Denver University Finishes Second at Mile High Relays

DENVER – The Denver Pioneers women’s triathlon program finished second in the team event on Sunday morning at the inaugural Mile High Relays on the DU campus.

Denver had its A-relay team of Clara Normand, Elizabeth Harita and Freya McKinley finish fourth (19:30) in the group event while its B-team of Avarie Faulkner, Coco Diemar and Olivia Ebenstein came in sixth (20:43). The Pioneers garnered 16 points to edge third-place South Dakota (14 points) and fourth-place San Francisco (12 points).

Arizona State won the team event with 30 points after their A and B-relay teams placed first (18:27) and second (19:04) in the race. South Dakota’s A team came in third (19:18).

The event was the DU triathlon team’s first-ever race on campus and featured a 200-meter swim in the El Pomar Natatorium before transitioning into a nearly one-kilometer run (.95) in front of the Denver Soccer Stadium and around the adjacent sports fields.

Normand clocked a total time of 6:23, though she didn’t have to take part in the first transition as she and the others off the gun began the race by swimming in the school’s 50-meter pool. Harita posted a time of 6:32, while McKinley completed the course in 6:35.

Denver’s B-relay team was led by its closer, Ebenstein, who posted a 6:35 time. Faulkner started the group off with a time of 6:40 before Diemar registered a mark of 7:28. The Pioneers also joined USD in fielding a C-exhibition relay team, as Nadiya Linde-Elmhirst (7:35) and Stormy Hegg (8:00) competed alongside the Coyotes’ Ella Perras (7:28) and finished in 23:03.

The Mile High Relays were the culmination of a busy weekend of racing for the Pioneers, as they and the other three teams competed at the Oktoberfest Sprint Triathlon in Longmont on Saturday morning. Denver finished second behind Arizona State in the NCAA race, which also featured Black Hills State, Cal Poly Humboldt and Montana State Billings.

Denver’s season is halfway over, with only three more events on its schedule. The Pioneers’ next race is in three weeks at the Western Regional National Qualifier in Stockton, Missouri, on Oct. 15. DU wraps up the regular season on Oct. 30 at the Bearathlon in Berkeley, California, before competing at the national championships on Nov. 12.