Wingate, N.C.----When Wingate University women's triathlon head coach Nick Radkewich interviewed for his current role, he told then-director of athletics Steve Poston that the Bulldogs would contend for a national championship. Poston worked at Wingate almost 50 years before retiring in 2021, so he had heard this song-and-dance many times.
 
Truth be told, Radkewich entered his Wingate interview process with more knowledge than the typical interviewee. He had followed the Bulldogs while serving as head cross country coach at Belmont Abbey College. Coach Rad made several visits to Wingate's campus for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals and he did not waste the opportunity to ascertain the school's enormous potential.
 
Wingate won its first-ever Division II title at last year's Collegiate Triathlon national championships in Clermont, Florida. The Bulldogs have had four podium placements in four tries, as Wingate finished second, third and second in its previous national championship appearances. Radkewich has helped the five-year-old program live up to its potential, and this season is no exception as the Bulldogs have a first-place and a second-place finish in two events.
 
Selling Ice to Eskimos
 
When he was officially hired on October 1, 2020, Radkewich knew he would need to deliver on his national-championship-contender promises. He pulled together a stellar first class, which included future individual national champions Finja Schierl and Julia Kekkonen, among others. Wingate's inaugural recruit, Dylan Kirchner, is now the first alumna in school history to serve as graduate assistant triathlon coach.
 
Radkewich leans heavily on the Wingate University admissions office while hosting recruits. Anyone who has heard his spiel knows that Radkewich has done his homework. Could he sell ice to eskimos? Maybe…but he can certainly sell Wingate to recruits from all over the world.
 
Building the sport
 
Radkewich is equally serious about building the sport of intercollegiate women's triathlon in the USA. He fields calls from schools inquiring about adding the sport. Radkewich has answered the same questions over and over, but he feels it necessary for women's triathlon to make it to the next level. Presently, women's triathlon is classified as an emerging sport by the NCAA…don't be surprised if the NCAA adds women's triathlon to its 90-sport roster in the years ahead.
 
Family reunions
 
Each year, the Wingate University triathlon teams host the Bulldog SuperSprint Kickoff on the school's 520-acre campus and in the outlying community. The event is similar to a family reunion, as the Naval Academy, Duquesne, Emmanuel (Ga.), Lenoir-Rhyne, Newberry and other schools make yearly appearances.
 
Coaches Radkewich and Kirchner made sure the August 31, 2025 event was second-to-none, as they spent hours upon hours getting everything ready. Radkewich is always quick to thank the University's Campus Services team and its athletic administration led by Joe Reich for helping to shoulder the SuperSprint Kickoff load. Hosting a triathlon meet is not for the faint of heart, but Radkewich and Kirchner and company made this year's event a high-class affair.
 
Bulldogs collect gold, silver in first two events - 2025 season update
 
The NCAA Division II No. 1 Wingate women's triathlon team swept the team and individual crowns in the Bulldog SuperSprint Kickoff on August 31. Wingate defeated one top 10 NCAA Division I program (No. 9 Duquesne) and two top 10 Division II squads (No. 8 Emmanuel and No. 10 Newberry).
 
The Bulldogs won their fourth consecutive SuperSprint Kickoff event with 110 points. The United States Naval Academy finished second with 75. Duquesne and Emmanuel tied for third with 28 points, while Newberry claimed fifth place with 11 markers.
 
Wingate student-athletes occupied positions 1-5 in the SuperSprint Kickoff. Freshmen Vanda Křížková and Shelby Lajeunesse earned gold and silver medals, respectively. Veterans Rebecca Nolan, Paula Auschill and Babette van Rooyen finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
 
In the Lake Davidson Collegiate Cup presented by Trane Technologies September 14, Wingate finished second to NCAA Division I Queens University of Charlotte. NCAA Division I East Tennessee was third. For the Bulldogs, Křížková finished 10th with her time of 58:45.40.
 
Depth was big for the Navy Blue and Vegas Gold-clad Wingate triathletes, as four Bulldogs finished 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th, respectively. Lajeunesse claimed the lucky 13th spot with her time of 58:49.21. Bulldog veterans Auschill, Rebecca Nolan and Pia Diemer followed Lajeunesse in rapid fire succession.
 
In between Wingate's two races this season, Shelby Lajeunesse earned a 12th place finish at the 2025 Canadian National Championships in Montreal on September 6. Counting the USA, the Bulldog roster sports student-athletes from 12 countries. Turkey leads the way with three student-athletes, followed by Germany with two. Pennsylvania leads the red, white and blue with two student-athletes. Wingate has 14 internationals and five Americans on its 19-person roster.
 
CTCA Rankings update
 
Wingate remains the No. 1 team in Division II in the September 24 College Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA) rankings. When the CTCA combines Divisions I, II and III, Wingate is No. 6, trailing only Arizona State, Arizona, San Francisco, Queens and Texas Christian. The Bulldogs were No. 1 in the preseason listing and the first regular season ranking on September 17.
 
Looking ahead
 
Next on the agenda for Wingate is the Robious Landing Triathlon Sunday, September 28. This is a Collegiate Cup race where the Bulldog student-athletes look to improve their rankings ahead of the East Regionals on October 25. Wingate is the three-time defending East Regional champion.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. 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.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 17 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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