RESULTS | 2026 Wingate vs. Emmanuel dual meet results
 
Wingate, N.C.----The NCAA Division II No. 1 Wingate University women's triathlon team started the historic 2026 season in style, taking a 36-19 Conference Carolinas dual meet victory over No. 8 Emmanuel (Ga.) University Tuesday. Senior team captain Pia Diemer led the host Bulldogs, finishing first with her time of 26:43.8.
 
"The race went very well for our team," Diemer says. "It was a great start to the NCAA season. The race was challenging and fun, since we had strong girls from Emmanuel racing with us so we could push each other through the heat. The whole team is looking forward to the upcoming season!"
 
Wingate picked to finish first in '26 Conference Carolinas race
 
Wingate is picked to win the inaugural Conference Carolinas women's triathlon championship. The Bulldogs received four first-place votes and 34 points to claim the top spot in the inaugural poll. Lenoir-Rhyne received the final two first-place votes and 31 points to land in the second position. Emmanuel (26 points) and Newberry (18 points) are third and fourth, respectively.
 
Three Wingate student-triathletes were named Conference Carolinas Players to Watch. They include sophomores Shelby Lajeunesse and Vanda Krizkova and freshman Etriin Etverk. Both Lajeunesse and Krizkova were first team All-Americans in 2025. Lajeunesse was the 2025 NCAA Division II Freshman of the Year
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate University head triathlon coach Nick Radkewich
 
"It was a hot day, but a great start to the NCAA Division II season. A big thank you to Emmanuel head coach Allen Gilchrest and his squad for traveling to Wingate for the opening race of the year."
 
"This year will be special because the team will have three championship races in five weeks, starting with the first-ever NCAA Conference Championship as we host the Conference Carolinas Triathlon Championships October 4 on the Wingate campus. The team will then travel to Lake Lanier, Georgia October 18 for the East Regional Championship and then back to Tempe, Arizona November 8 for the National Championships."  
 
WU-EU Dual Meet information
Swim: 300-yard pool swim
Bike: 8K 1-lap bike
Run: 2K 2-lap run
 
Wingate University women's triathlon results
Wingate vs. Emmanuel (Ga.) dual meet top 10
 
Overall place-name, time 
1-Pia Diemer, Wingate, 26:43.8
2-Babette van Rooyen, Wingate, 27:08.4
3-Daniela Lincango, Emmanuel, 28:17.0
4-Ipek Ozlenen Gunad, Wingate, 28:47.2
5-Ruya Coskun, Wingate, 29:17.3
6-Antonia Vasquez, Emmanuel, 29:28.4
7-Vanda Krizkova, Wingate, 30:03.0
8-Oratile Muthaphuli, Emmanuel, 31:02.0
9-Rica Botz, Emmanuel, 31:31.0
10-Mayte Moposita, Emmanuel, 32:01.3
 
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 18 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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