PITTSBURGH – Duquesne triathlon head coach and 1992 graduate Joella Baker was recently inducted as a member of the 2025 Butler County Sports Hall of Fame class, recognizing her decades of achievement as a competitor, coach and advocate for endurance sports.

A 1988 graduate of Quigley Catholic High School in Baden, Pa., Baker lettered in cross country and track before competing in cross country, track and field, and swimming at Duquesne. She ran her first marathon as a freshman and has since built one of the most accomplished amateur endurance resumes in western Pennsylvania.

Baker has completed more than 30 marathons, four ultra-marathons, and over 300 triathlons, including 18.5 Ironman events. She has represented Team USA at seven World Championships and qualified for five others across long-course, aqua bike and draft-legal disciplines.

In 2020, Baker was honored with the Jeff Jewell Spirit Award from USA Triathlon, presented annually to an athlete who gives back to the sport and serves as a role model, particularly for youth. She is also the founder of Get Fit Families in Harmony, Pa., a program that has introduced thousands of youths and adults to running, cycling and triathlon competition over the past 15 years.

Baker received the 2024 CTCA Outstanding Service Award for her dedication and commitment to collegiate triathlon and was also recognized among the Top 25 Female Athletes of the Past 25 Years in Butler County.

As the founding coach of Duquesne's triathlon program, Baker has guided the Dukes to national recognition as one of the top Division I programs in the country, with multiple student-athletes ranked in the top 100 nationally each season and numerous CTCA Scholar All-America Honorable Mention selections.

"Joella is a trailblazer for our program and for the sport," said Duquesne Vice President of Athletics Dave Harper. "On behalf of the entire Duquesne community, we congratulate her on this well-deserved Hall of Fame induction. Her passion for developing student-athletes, both in competition and in life, exemplifies the mission and spirit of Duquesne University."

For more information, click here to view Baker's full Butler County Sports Hall of Fame bio.

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