ASU triathlon on dual course to win and help grow sport
Arizona State women’s triathlon wants to continue winning national championships like in its first varsity season. But it’s also responsible for driving interest in the NCAA emerging sport among Power 5 conferences, which if successful will make it harder for ASU to dominate.
It’s a dichotomy that ASU administrators and coach Cliff English accept as their role in growing the sport. By 2024, at least 40 NCAA Division I, II and III schools must offer varsity triathlon for it to become a full NCAA sport, a hurdle that beach volleyball cleared in 2016.
There are 14 schools with varsity triathlon so far including only ASU from Power 5 conferences.
“It’s part of our responsibility,” English said. “What we keep trying to emphasize with our partner USA Triathlon is if you have swim team and a pool, you can have a tri program. You have running trails and a track, you can have a tri program. You don’t need any facility build. It’s one of the cheaper sports. For the bikes, you can find a donor or a bike store and get them for a very good deal.
“We hear some of the big schools are interested, it just hasn’t quite happened yet. It’s probably going to be one of those cases where the dam breaks. That’s what I’m hoping.”
For this season, ASU is even better than last when it had four top-10 finishers at nationals, three of whom are back.
If the Central Regional qualifier on Sept. 5 is any indication, the Sun Devils are good on the depth front. They had the top seven finishers in Naperville, Ill., with Henry, Gorczyca and Roy less than a minute apart at the front. The draft-legal college triathlon race is a 750-meter swim, 20K bike and 5K run.
ASU competes again Saturday at the West Regional in Berkeley, Calif., then at the East regional, Oct. 7 in Sarasota, Fla., leading up to nationals in Tempe.
Rocky Harris, who recently left as ASU athletic Chief Operating Officer to become USA Triathlon CEO, will be back for nationals, which includes an age group race open to the public.
Hockey set for 3rd NCAA season
ASU hockey embarks on its third NCAA season with an exhibition game against Northern Alberta Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. Saturday at Oceanside Ice Arena.
ASU has 10 new players on a 28-man roster from a recruiting class ranked No. 9 nationally by NeutralZone.net.
The Sun Devils were 10-19-3 last season playing all games against NCAA competition other than a pair against the U.S. U18 team. They will open regular-season play at home against UMass-Amherst on Oct. 6-7 before six straight away games.
ASU soccer ties at No. 11 California
Madison Stark scored in the 70th minute Thursday and Arizona State soccer held on for a 1-1 tie at No. 11 California.
ASU (4-4-2, 1-0-1 Pac-12) was outshot 23-10 (7-2 on goal) but overcame a Cal goal early in the second half (48th minute) as freshman goalkeeper Nikki Panas made six saves. Cal now is 8-1-1, 10-1 Pac-12. It was the fifth overtime match this season for the Sun Devils, who now are 1-2-2 in extra time.
ASU remains in the Bay area to face No. 2 Stanford at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Volleyball falls to No. 2 Stanford
ASU volleyball improved after a rough start (25-12) Wednesday at No. 2 Stanford but also dropped the next two sets (25-18, 26-24) for its third straight loss. The Sun Devils (10-5, 0-3) are at California (9-4, 0-2) on Friday.
During the Cal vs. Arizona match on Sunday, the Bears will honor sophomore Savannah Rennie, who had a liver transplant last year now is undergoing chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin posttransplant lymphoma.
Bailee Huizenga, who started her career at ASU in spring 2016, is a Cal sophomore outside hitter.