PITTSBURGH – Head coach Joella Baker will lead the Duquesne University triathlon program into its third season as the Dukes enter the campaign ranked No. 9 in the Division-I preseason poll by the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association.

Duquesne will send four competitors — juniors Alexandria Meyers, Abby Kreber, Freya Davis and Ella Butterfield — to compete in the season-opening Bulldog Supersprint Kickoff Invitational hosted by Wingate on Sunday. The race is scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m.

2025 PREVIEW
The Dukes roster features 15 triathletes, including seven juniors, two sophomores, and six freshmen.

Duquesne comes off a ninth-place finish at the 2024 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Junior Robyn Hunt is the leading returner, finishing 53rd at nationals. Fellow juniors Kate Potashnik (58th), Vivien Mattice (61st) and Abby Kreber (64th) also competed in last year's national title race. Ella Butterfield and Alexandria Meyers will compete in their second consecutive season opener at Wingate. Meyers posted two top-20 finishes last year at the Robious Landing and Clermont Draft Legal events, while Freya Davis also had strong showings at those meets, finishing in the top 30.

Sophomores Tamara Kun and Rachele Lavagno return for their second seasons. Kun raced in three meets as a freshman, earning top-15 finishes in all, including a third-place finish at the Prairie State Cup, which Duquesne won to claim the program's first-ever team title. Lavagno notched a pair of top-10 finishes at the Clermont Draft Legal and led the team with a finals appearance in last season's Bulldog Supersprint Kickoff.

Freshmen Arianna Flauto, Mikele Jopson, Olivia Morgan, Kadence Ribbink, Catherine Staley and Ava Urso round out the roster.

2025 SCHEDULE
Following Sunday's opener at Wingate, the Dukes will travel to Queens University of Charlotte on September 14, then host the third annual Duquesne Invitational September 19-20. The Robious Landing Triathlon on September 27 will serve as a final tune-up before championship season. The East National Qualifier is set for October 25 in Lake Norman, North Carolina, and the Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships are slated for November 8 in Tempe, Arizona.

CTCA DIVISION I PRESEASON COACHES POLL
T1. Arizona
T1. Arizona State
3. Queens University
4. TCU
5. Denver
6. San Francisco
7. East Tennessee State
8. South Dakota
9. Duquesne
10. La Salle

FOLLOW THE DUKES 
Follow Duquesne Triathlon all season on X (Twitter) and Instagram, as well as online at GoDuquesne.com.