TUCSON, Arizona — It's a splash that was initially made last August when the Wildcats added women's triathlon as its 22nd sport. This morning, the team held its first official practice.
"I've needed every single second to get ready for this team to arrive," said head coach Wes Johnson.
Johnson was hired following nine years as a coach with the United States national team. Tucson is considered a haven for professional and amateur triathletes.
"The community is great, here," added Johnson. "From the bike shops to the people that love triathlon. And, there have been some donors who have gotten involved that love sports, and love the University.
News of the team rippled overseas. Among the student-athletes is Dana (pronounced Dahncha) Prikrylova, who is from the highest mountains in the Czech Republic, and has only been in America for three days.
"There are too many cars and roads," Prikrylova, joked. But, I like it. It's quite different than in Europe."
Perhaps the most accomplished Wildcat is Lydia Russell, the No. 1 ranked under 23 triathlete in the United States, who previously worked with Johnson on a national team.
"I've been really lucky that I've had great coaches and one-on-one training but I've definitely been looking forward to have training partners, here," Russell said.
"It's really an exciting group," said Johnson. "As exciting as this group is, the coming years with everything we are recruiting right now makes me really excited for what's to come."
