By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Head Women's Triathlon Coach Brett Franz of Willamette University was named Division III National Coach of the Year after leading the Bearcats to fifth place at the 2023 Women's Collegiate Triathlon Championships on Saturday, Nov. 11. The Bearcats scored 357 points to finish fifth out of 11 NCAA Division III teams at the championships. Riga Grubis (Fy., Fairbanks, AK/West Valley HS) of Willamette tied for seventh place among Division III runners.

Franz is in his third season after starting the triathlon program at Willamette in the fall of 2021. Previously, he served as the assistant head coach of cross country and track and field at Willamette. He is in his 15th year on the coaching staff.

Prior to competing at the Women's Collegiate Triathlon Championships, Franz led Willamette to second place in the team standings at the West National Qualifier in Springfield, Missouri, on Oct. 14. Willamette trailed only North Central College (Ill.) which went on to win the national title.

North Central's winning score was 623 as the Cardinals secured the top three and four of the top five individual times. Trine University (Ind.) was second at 421, with Eastern Mennonite University (Va.) in third place at 407. Calvin University (Mich.) gained fourth place at 378 and Willamette was fifth at 357. Millikin University (Ill.) took sixth place at 303, Concordia University Wisconsin was seventh at 289, Central College (Iowa) was eighth at 285, and Coe College (Iowa) placed ninth at 66. Guilford College (N.C.) earned 10th place at 32, and Greensboro College (N.C.) placed 11th with a score of 28.

Grubis completed the 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike, and 5-kilometer run at the Collegiate Championships with an overall time of 1:18:15. She was one of five Bearcats who earned Top 30 finishes. Ella Isaacson (Jr., Saint Paul, MN/Central HS) was 20th in 1:21:07 and Veronica Castille (Jr., Round Rock, TX/Cedar Ridge HS) placed 23rd just 38 seconds later in 1:21:45. Abbey Staniec (So., Stockton, CA/Lincoln HS) grabbed 30th place with a time of 1:24:24.

Also competing for Willamette were Natalie Thomas (Fy., Jensen Beach, Florida/American Cooperative School of Tunis) and Maya Ryley (Fy, Eugene, OR/North Eugene HS). Thomas earned an overall time of 1:28:57. Ryley was timed at 1:33:01.

The individual Division III winner was Hailey Poe from North Central with a first place time of 1:09:27. Charlotte Kumler of NCC placed second at 1:11:42 and Bethany Smeed from NCC took third at 1:12:08 Grace Huisman of Trine claimed fourth place in 1:33:33 and was soon followed by Scarlett Shuth of North Central in fifth at 1:13:51.

Jenna Weaver from Eastern Mennonite was sixth at 1:17:19, just under a minute before Grubis and Jessica Bcukwalter of Eastern Mennonite tied for seventh place at 1:18:15. Kathryn Gardner from Calvin placed ninth in 1:18:48, while Vanessa Gardiner of Eatern Mennonite was 10th in 1:18:51. The event featured a total of 55 competitors.