Montana StationsKTVQ

Actions

Bjerke announces inaugural MSU Billings triathlon schedule

Posted at 10:49 PM, Jun 06, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-07 16:23:05-04
(MSUB Athletics photo)

(Editor’s note: MSUB Athletics release)

BILLINGS – A slate of six competitions comprises the inaugural Montana State University Billings women’s triathlon schedule, which was announced by head coach Kevin Bjerke on Thursday.

“It is naturally very exciting to have our program’s inaugural competition schedule now set,” said Bjerke, who was introduced as the program’s first head coach on December 12, 2018. “I look forward to providing our triathletes with the best student-athlete experience possible, and I think this schedule provides the perfect springboard for that experience.”

The Yellowjackets’ first-ever meet will be on August 31, with the Southern Hills Triathlon at Angostura Recreation Area in Hot Springs, South Dakota. MSUB will compete in a pair of NCAA Division II regional qualifier meets during the fall as well, leading up to the national championships which are on November 16 in Tempe, Arizona.

The West Region Qualifier is set for September 15 at Belle Fourche Reservoir, and is hosted by Black Hills State University. MSUB will also compete at the East Region Qualifier, slated for October 19 at Smith Mountain Lake Reservoir in Huddleston, Virginia.

In between the two regional meets will be the Oktoberfest Triathlon, which is set for September 22 at Union Reservoir in Longmont, Colorado. “We will get our feet wet in Hot Springs, South Dakota, but then ramp up quickly with two regional qualifying events and an equally-competitive draft-legal event in Longmont, Colorado,” Bjerke commented, assessing the busy fall schedule. “We are fortunate to have our program’s first regional qualifier in such close proximity to home, and would like to thank in advance BHSU for hosting. We will then have the opportunity to fly across the country to events in Virginia and Arizona, followed by a spring trip to California.”

MSUB’s lone meet of the spring season will be on April 12, with the HITS Triathlon Series at Putah Canyon Recreation Area in Napa Valley, California.

Currently recognized by the NCAA among the emerging sports category, women’s triathlon is one of the most rapidly growing competitive sports at the collegiate level. The sport is sanctioned by USA Triathlon, and consists of a 750-meter open-water swim, a draft-legal 20-kilometer bike ride, and a five-kilometer run.

The women’s triathlon program will host a series of open house sessions, including one on June 6 at 12:15 p.m. on the MSUB campus. For more information on the program, contact Coach Bjerke at kevin.bjerke@msubillings.edu or 701-361-9782.