By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net    

BAHAMIAN triathlete Anjaleah Knowles represented Millikin University well at the 2024 Heartland Triathlon Cup in Springfield, Missouri, recently. 

The 17-year-old competed in the NCAA Women’s Triathlon - West Regional qualifier and placed 96th out of 128 competitors.

Knowles, a freshman at Millikin University, completed the swim, run and bike with a season’s best time of 1:25:48.

She posted splits of 11:16 in the swim, 42:54 in the bike and 28:55 in the run. 

According to Knowles, she faced some challenges along the way but she felt proud of her performance.

“My swim felt really good, I pushed myself and was proud of my time. Racing in such a large group can be challenging, especially during the swim, but I managed to break free and I’m proud of that.

“The cycling was decent, though I found this course tougher due to the rolling hills. 

“I’m pleased with my speed compared to my last race, and I enjoyed riding in packs with other competitors — everyone on the sidelines was really encouraging. 

“The run was challenging, again because of the hills, but I’m happy with my effort and overall performance,” she said.

Knowles, a member of the Sea Waves Triathlon Club in Nassau, Bahamas, is now preparing to put her skills on display at the 2024 NCAA Women’s Triathlon Championships in Clermont, Florida, on November 9. 

She is just the first Bahamian to compete in triathlon for the NCAA. 

The NCAA voted to make Triathlon the next emerging sport for women back in 2014. A decade later, up to 42 schools are now competing at the varsity level for the NCAA. Previous emerging sports included beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey and water polo. 

The NCAA Triathlon offers swimmers or distance runners an opportunity to compete at the collegiate level and take advantage of opportunities that exist in D1, D2 and D3 schools.

The 17-year-old collegiate triathlete is looking forward to the NCAA Women’s Triathlon Championships scheduled for this weekend.

“I’m also excited to share that I’ll be competing in the NCAA Triathlon Nationals in Florida and I’m eager to represent Millikin and The Bahamas,” she said.

The top 24 teams combined from the NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III at both the East and West Regional qualifiers made the qualifying mark for the NCAA Triathlon Nationals slated for Friday.