Wingate University head women’s triathlon coach Nick Radkewich enters his fifth season in 2025. The Bulldogs’ storybook 2024 season ended with the team’s first-ever national championship. Wingate had five ’24 All-Americans, led by individual national champion Carla Larrabeiti.
Grace Nolan and Pamela Hernandez Quevedo joined Larrabeiti as ’24 first team All-Americans. National Freshman of the Year Paula Auschill was named a second team All-American, while Irmak Sereflioglu received honorable mention AA laurels. Sereflioglu was the East Region Freshman of the Year as the Bulldogs won their third consecutive East Region title.
Wingate was the national runner-up in 2023 as Julia Kekkonen and Tamar Veltman were named first team All-Americans. Kekkonen claimed the individual silver medal. Maddie Gagnon made the All-American second team, while Katja Krenn was an honorable mention AA choice. The Bulldogs repeated as East Region champions in 2023.
The Bulldogs finished third at the 2022 national championships as Kekkonen won the individual national championship and a first team All-American nod. Larrabeiti and Jule Resselberger earned second team All-American laurels, while Hernandez Quevedo was an honorable mention choice. Wingate won the first of its three consecutive East Region crowns in 2022.
In Wingate’s first appearance on the national stage, the Bulldogs finished as national runner-up at the 2021 NCAA Division II finals. Finja Schierl concluded an amazing freshman year with the individual national championship and a first team All-American trophy. Kekkonen joined Schierl on the All-American first team, while Dylan Kirchner received an honorable mention AA award.
Each year, the Wingate women’s triathlon team receives academic honors from the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA). Following the 2024 season, four Bulldog student-athletes were recognized by the CTCA for excellence in the classroom.
Wingate earned ’24 CTCA Scholar All-American team status, as the Bulldogs posted a 3.693 GPA in the fall 2024 semester, well above the 3.2 or higher requirement to receive the team honor. Six student-athletes compiled individual 4.00 GPAs for the fall semester.
Senior Pamela Hernandez Quevedo and freshman Paula Auschill were named Division II Scholar All-Americans following the 2024 season. Senior Maddie Gagnon and junior Katja Krenn were recognized with Scholar All-American honorable mention distinction. Hernandez Quevedo, Gagnon and Krenn were repeat performers.
Radkewich joins Wingate family as school’s first women’s triathlon coach
Wingate University vice-president and director of athletics Steve Poston named Nick Radkewich the school’s first-ever women’s triathlon head coach in 2020. The Bulldogs announced the addition of women’s triathlon in June 2020. The Olympian had served as the head coach at Belmont Abbey College, while also spending 10 years as a coach and consultant at Avengers Sports.
“We are pleased to welcome Nick Radkewich to Wingate University and the Bulldog athletic family,” Poston says. “I cannot think of a person more qualified to lead our inaugural triathlon program. His excitement and enthusiasm for the sport was evident throughout the interview process. As an Olympian and collegiate coach, he brings instant credibility and visibility to our triathlon program, which should be extremely beneficial in attracting high quality student-athletes to our University. We are excited to add triathlon to our athletic offerings and believe it will be a great fit for our University. I am convinced that Nick is the right person to lead us in this new venture as we look forward to our first competition in the fall of 2021.”
Radkewich spent three years at Belmont Abbey College, where he was the head cross country, track and field and triathlon coach for the Crusaders. He helped the cross country teams claim a pair of top-three finishes while coaching 14 track and field student-athletes to conference titles. Radkewich also had the conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 27 All-Conference Academic award winners. The Crusaders won four Conference Messick Team Awards for Sportsmanship during his tenure.
Radkewich created a USA Triathlon grant for $70,000 to help start the program at Belmont Abbey. During his time at Belmont Abbey, he was a member of the U.S. Track & Field, Cross Country Coaches Association, was on the Cross Country Executive Committee and was the Conference Carolinas Cross Country Committee Chairman in 2016 and 2017. Radkewich served as the Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championship meet director every year of his Belmont Abbey career.
“I want to thank president Dr. Rhett Brown, vice-president Heather Miller, athletic director Steve Poston and deputy director of athletics Michelle Caddigan for advancing the development of triathlon as an NCAA sport and honoring me with the opportunity to lead the program,” Radkewich says. “As a past competitor, I had great respect for Bulldog athletic programs, but when I toured the campus and met with University and athletic department staff, I realized how special Wingate is as a community. I look forward to contributing to the growth of that community and the continued success of Bulldog Athletics. I also want to thank Chief Sport Development Officer Tim Yount and the USA Triathlon development staff for their efforts to establish triathlon as an NCAA championship sport. I look forward to working with them to continue triathlon’s growth and evolution.”
Radkewich spent the past decade as a coach and consultant at Avengers Sports and 4D Endurance. In his 10 years there, he helped design and implement personal endurance training programs in triathlon and running to all skill levels and provided event marketing and product development services to major event promoters and manufacturers.
Radkewich also managed a pilot program between USA Triathlon, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs and the U.S. Olympic Committee; mentoring athletes at the Olympic Training Center with two Junior Elite National Champions; One 2012 Olympic Trials qualifier, a Collegiate National Championship and a Pan Am Elite Junior Championship podium. Radkewich was selected as a member of the coaching staff for the 2012 International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series Finals in Auckland, New Zealand.
“We are excited to have Coach Radkewich join the athletic department as the new women’s triathlon head coach,” Wingate University director of track & field and cross country Matt van Lierop says. “I’ve known Nick for years and he brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Wingate Athletics. He was a formidable adversary while we were both at rival Conference Carolinas schools, so it’s nice to finally have him now join our Bulldog family as an ally. I’m looking forward to watching Nick grow the triathlon teams at Wingate. We cannot wait to see what he brings to this endurance program.”
Radkewich has also served as the head cross country coach and Endicott College from 2013 through 2015. He was an assistant coach at Rivier University from 2011 through 2013.
Radkewich has an impressive career that includes four years at the University of Notre Dame as a member of the cross country and track and field teams, followed by a successful career as an Olympic triathlete. He helped Notre Dame finish third at the 1990 NCAA championships, while finishing second as an individual at the conference championship. Radkewich was a three-time all-conference honoree in indoor track & field.
Radkewich was a member of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Triathlon Team. The five-time national champion was named the 1998 USA Triathlon & US Olympic Committee Triathlete of the Year. He was also a two-time member of the US Goodwill Games team.
Radkewich graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Notre Dame in 1993, majoring in management information systems. He received his master’s degree from New England College in 2010 in sports and recreation management.
