The University of Arizona triathlon team is coming off a strong debut season after taking 5th at the 2023 NCAA Championship in Tempe, Arizona. This year is only the program’s second season to date, leaving its members hungry for more success.
The Wildcats’ first meet of this season occurred Aug. 31 in Hot Springs, South Dakota for the Southern Hills Collegiate Cup. Arizona dominated with a first place podium spot from Kelly Wetteland, a UA junior and returning triathlete. Wetteland’s teammates followed close behind, securing a fourth place overall finish for the Wildcats.
“This synergy, you can kind of feed off of each other,” said Wetteland. “I’ll always be looking up to Laura [Holánszky] […]. Everyone has something they are really good at so we all kind of build on that,” Wetteland continued.
Arizona triathletes have to work together to achieve team successes even though the competitors race as individuals.
“It won’t really matter where you come [in] individually, it all matters as a team,” Holánszky said.
In NCAA qualifying placements, there are no individual awards. A team either advances into the next meet or they are out.
“I forget that it’s an individual sport because we are together 24/7,” Holánszky said. “Seeing everyone else’s dedication and motivation […] practice is just us cheering each other on. It’s really awesome.”
Coaches and Player Highlights
Behind the success of the UA triathlon team is head coach Wes Johnson and assistant coach Jocelyn Bonney. Johnson says the motto for the team this year is, “Why not me? Why not us?” Johnson explained that is the reason for significant growth in confidence in the team from last year to this year.
The motto is written on a whiteboard during their practices; a subtle reminder that success is theirs for the taking this year. The Arizona triathlon team has only been around for two years, making this upcoming season an important moment for their future securing a placement for the NCAA’s qualifier and championship.
Coaches Johnson and Bonney are experiencing their second year with the team as well.
In December 2020, Johnson was hired on as the team’s first-ever head coach. He had previously been the National Team Coach for USA Triathlon in competitions such as the Paralympic Games, World Championships and Pan American Championships. Johnson has also acquired an array of coaching awards due to his involvement and dedication to USA Triathlon and Paralympics.
Assistant coach Bonney was previously a student-athlete in triathlon. She reached multiple milestones in her time as an athlete: national champion at Queens University, one of the first women to earn a scholarship for triathlon and the first individual triathlon national champion in the history of NCAA. Both coaches have led the UA’s triathlon team to great success in their first year and look to do more this year.
The Wildcats’ team consists of both returning athletes and newcomers from all over the world.
Freshman athlete Anika Visser is originally from Cape Town, South Africa. Prior to her arrival in Arizona, Visser was the South African National Champion in Triathlon and Cycling as well as a gold medalist at the African Junior Triathlon Championships. Since being at the University of Arizona, Visser came in 15th at the Southern Hills Collegiate Cup.
Holánszky is a UA Senior and second year competitor for the Wildcat triathlon team. Holánszky comes from Budapest, Hungary and has increased the team’s successes tremendously. With a team-best time of 1:09:52, Holánzsky secured a top-20 finish at the Battle of Fort Worth meet in 2023. She also represented Hungary at the U23 Triathlon World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain in September 2023.
Trainings and Environment
“Whatever their hardest session of the day is, we usually do first,” Bonney said. On top of individuals’ rigorous training, “some athletes on the team will compete in cross country races, others will stay back and train for world championships.”
The training of a triathlon member is nothing short of packed, not including a student’s work load.
The Wildcats keep a close knit environment throughout their busy days.
According to Holánszky and Wetteland, the team is like a sisterhood.
“Yeah, we live together, like nine of us,” said Wetteland.
“We are like our own sorority,” Holánszky added.
Wetteland and Holánszky say the team is “sensational” and “unmatched.”
Coming Up
The Wildcats are preparing for their upcoming meet in Fort Worth, Texas for the Battle of the Fort Triathlon. Prior to this meet, UA athletes will compete at the Hillenbrand Aquatic Center at the UA for a Red-Blue Intrasquad meet Sept. 14 at 7:00 a.m.
The team’s NCAA West National Qualifier is only a few weeks away on Oct. 12 in Springfield, Missouri. The results of that meet will decide as to who will make it into the National Championship on Nov. 9 in Clermont, Florida.
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