VIDEO | Nick Radkewich Interview
VIDEO | Julia Kekkonen Interview
 
Wingate, N.C.----What does a second-year intercollegiate athletics program do for an encore after an inaugural season capped by a second-place finish in the national championships? For Wingate University head coach Nick Radkewich and his Bulldog women's triathlon team, the answer is simple: Continue to work hard and deal with the challenges as they arise…everything else will fall into place.
 
Wingate opens its 2022 campaign Sunday, hosting the Bulldog Super Sprint Kickoff on the University campus. Action begins at 9 a.m. in the WU Natatorium with the swimming competition. The Bulldog Super Sprint/South Atlantic Conference Invitational is two weeks later on Sunday, Sept. 18. Regionals follow on Oct. 15, while nationals are Nov. 12, both on the same courses as their 2021 equivalents.
 
"On paper, we look good"
 
Radkewich says the Bulldogs have worked hard during the August preseason phase. "On paper, we look good," the 2000 U.S. Olympian triathlete says. "We know this is only on paper…we must take care of matters and work hard every day."
 
Wingate has the No. 1 returning NCAA Division II student-athlete in junior Julia Kekkonen. The St. Thomas Aquinas transfer finished fourth at nationals in Tempe, Arizona, conquering injuries to make a big impact on the 'Dogs silver-medal team performance.
 
Sophomore Dylan Kirchner is the No. 9 returning student-athlete on the same D2 list after her honorable mention All-American race at 2021 nationals. Transfer Andie Kuipers (Lenoir-Rhyne) is the No. 15 returning D2 student-athlete in advance of her first season in the Bulldog Navy Blue and Vegas Gold.
 
The local, regional and national scene
 
The South Atlantic Conference landscape is settled for at least another year. Institutional movement between NCAA divisions cost the Wingate Bulldogs an opportunity to compete for an official league title this year, but Radkewich knows it is only a matter of time before his charges contribute to the points total for the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award.
 
"Our top competition on the regional and national level is Drury and Colorado Mesa," Radkewich says. Last year, Colorado Mesa and Wingate finished second and fourth, respectively, in October's USA Triathlon Collegiate Regional qualifier at Smith Mountain Lake in Huddleston, Virginia. Both teams advanced to nationals. Drury was sixth in the same regional qualifier event.
 
"I still pinch myself when I think about last season," Radkewich says. "Honestly, when we got the ladies to campus for their first 2021 workouts, we could see they had worked hard the previous summer season. This year, I have a positive feeling we can finish in the top three (at November's national meet). Over the next two months, we will put in the work…and see where we land."
 
New faces, more depth
 
"We were very excited to bring in our first recruiting class last year," Radkewich says. "This semester's new arrivals will give us more depth. Wingate's 2022 roster boasts 15 student-athletes, eight newcomers and seven veterans.
 
The Bulldogs concluded the 2021 campaign with eight student-athletes on the official roster, so the eight freshmen and transfers who arrived in August are a big boost. Radkewich says the newbies are right on time, as USA Triathlon has changed the scoring system for the regional championships, which serve as the qualifying event for the national championships.
 
"Last year, we scored team finishers one through four," Radkewich says. "We were heavy on the top end, so this worked well for us. This year, they (USA Triathlon) revised the scoring system, allowing teams to count their top five competitors. A strong bench is rewarded in this system. We were planning for this…so I think it is great!"
 
Another administrative change is the number of student-athletes who can race on regionals' game day. Last year, seven competitors could toe the starting line; this year, 10 WU triathletes will have the chance to perform in the first of two postseason races. USA Triathlon is holding fast to seven competitors for the national championships, the same as the 2021 event.
 
Spring and Summer preparation for '22 season
 
Radkewich is his sport's biggest advocate, at least in eastern Union County. Wingate employees and students pepper him with questions and he answers them with grace. In between accepting congratulatory messages last spring, Radkewich fielded the 'what do you do in the offseason' query more than once. His typical reply: Keep working hard in both the academic and athletic arenas and continue the focus on training and competition.
 
"With a young team, the Spring non-championship season is important," Radkewich says. "We spent part of our 2022 Spring Break in Florida, racing and gaining experience. In the summer, our ladies represent their countries and their clubs in high-level races."
 
Julia Kekkonen competed in the European Championships and the Finnish national championships. Dylan Kirchner raced at USA Junior Nationals, while sophomore Carla Larrabeiti Jefferson won several races in her home country of Spain. "Julia, Dylan and Carla built on their Fall 2021 season experiences and had some great results," Radkewich says.
 
Wingate's newcomers didn't rest on their laurels during the Summer of 2022. Freshman Zahra Gaskin competed in the Commonwealth Games for her native Barbados. "The CG experience for Zahra was amazing," Radkewich says. "She had an opportunity to live in the Commonwealth Games' Village among elite athletes from a variety of sports."
 
Freshman Linn Suchomel (Sweden) also participated in the European Championships, while classmate Jule Resselberger (Germany) saw significant action in her home country's Bundesliga. The German national series features races for first-division clubs. Resselberger was one of the youngest competitors in the event.
 
Looking back at 2021, athletically and academically

In November, Wingate finished second in the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships to six-time national champion Queens University of Charlotte. Julia Kekkonen finished fourth on the individual leaderboard, while Carla Larrabeiti Jefferson claimed 23rd place.
 
The aforementioned duo (plus individual national champion Finja Schierl) was recognized by the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA) as Division II Scholar All-Americans. Kekkonen and Schierl made the first team, while Jefferson received Scholar All-American honorable mention laurels.
 
The Bulldogs were named a CTCA Scholar All-American team as well. Wingate compiled a 3.485 cumulative GPA during the 2021-22 academic year. Four veteran Bulldogs enter the fall 2022 semester with cumulative GPAs of 3.500 or better.
 
Bulldog Super Sprint Kickoff Sunday, Sept. 4 at Wingate University
 
Wingate will welcome the women's teams from NCAA Division II neighbors Emmanuel (Ga.) and Newberry for Sunday's timed-finals event. Division III women's squads from Guilford and Greensboro College will also attend. The Wingate men's club team will also make its 2022 debut, competing against Emmanuel's student-athletes.
 
After the 9 a.m. swimming competition in the WU Natatorium, the competitors will grab their bicycles for a scenic 8K ride. The Bulldog Super Sprint Kickoff concludes with a 2K run on the Irwin Belk Track on the University's campus. Admission is free and spectators are welcome.
 
Wingate men's triathlon club team preps for Williamsburg event Sept. 11
 
The Bulldog men's triathlon club team has its championship season in the Spring, but they will stay busy this fall preparing for the calendar to turn to 2023. Sophomores Pablo Abad and Vorawuth 'Pun Pun' Pattrakulchai lead the returning student-athletes. Classmates Marcelo Delgado Landazuri and Martin Garcia Corral are back as well. The quartet had significant international experience this summer, preparing for the upcoming season.
 
Transfers Asher Lauderdale (Lenoir-Rhyne) and Maxime Saint-Martin (Saint Leo) will make a huge impact for the second-year program. The Wingate men will have their first big test Sunday, Sept. 11, when they compete in the Patriots' Triathlon in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The Collegiate Club national championships are slated for April 14-15, 2023 in Lake Lanier, Georgia.
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 38 undergraduate majors as well as seven master's and four doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. 

Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 14 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.

(Editor's Note: Pictured left-to-right in the accompanying graphic are Jule Resselberger, Dylan Kirchner, Julia Kekkonen, Sophia Maisano and Linn Suchomel. Graphic courtesy of Wingate University athletic communications assistant Drew Sandifer.)