Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team

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Women's Triathlon 9/4/2017 12:22:00 PM Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. for Communications

Custodi Shines In Collegiate Triathlon Debut

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Competing in the first collegiate event of her career, redshirt freshman Amber Custodi (Ransomville, N.Y.) has already made an immediate impact for the Daemen College women's triathlon team with her performance this morning at the Women's Collegiate Triathlon Central Regional Qualifier, the team's first meet of the 2017-18 season.

Custodi finished 15th overall, out of 51 total entrants, and second among participants from NCAA Division II programs with an overall time of 1:10:24.7. The performance earns her a berth in the 2017 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championship which will be held Sunday, Nov. 5 in Tempe, Ariz.

"I am incredibly proud of Amber, not only for the way she performed on the course today, but for all the work she's put in with our program over the last year to put herself in this position," said Dr. Jon Metz, the team's head coach since its inception with the 2015-16 season. "It's a great accomplishment for her, especially this early in her career, and I'm excited for everything that will come her way over the next several seasons."

Custodi's time is especially impressive considering she was running 35th in the field following the event's opening 570-meter swim. Custodi completed the event's 20-kilometer cycling portion in 35:24.1 which ranked 12th. She then completed a five-kilometer run in 22:17.3 which ranked 14th.

Only University of West Alabama's Caitlyn Muncher produced a better overall time among Division II participants, finishing the course in 1:09:27.9 to come in 12th place. Hannah Blystone of Division III Trine University produced the best time among all non-Division I competitors, coming in eighth place with a time of 1:06:27.2.

The top of the race standings were dominated by Division I athletes, specifically those from Arizona State University which saw its athletes finish first through seventh. ASU's Hannah Heary topped the field with a time of 1:00:06.4.

Veteran triathletes Nichole Geiger (Orchard Park, N.Y.) and Jenifer Igoe (Oakfield, N.Y.), both in their third seasons with the team, both competed for Daemen today but were among a group of 18 who did not complete the course.

Custodi will become the fourth Daemen triathlete to compete in the collegiate national championship event, joining Geiger and former Wildcats Ashley Cheff (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) and Anna Lyons (Webster, N.Y.) who did so in 2015 when Daemen's triathletes were invited to the event based on the program's status as a recipient of the Emerging Sport for Women Grant from USA Triathlon. Cheff also qualified for the 2016 national championship event but did not travel to compete.

Daemen, which is one 15 NCAA triathlon programs in the country according to USA Triathlon, continues its 2017-18 season later this week (Sunday, Sept. 10) at the Finger Lakes Triathlon in Canandaigua, N.Y.

For continuing coverage of the Daemen women's triathlon team, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenTriathlon on Twitter.

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Cheff: 5' 1"; Graduate Student

Amber Custodi: 5' 7"; Redshirt Freshman

Nichole Geiger: 5' 6"; Senior

Jenifer Igoe: 5' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

Ashley Cheff
: 5' 1"; Graduate Student

Amber Custodi
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Freshman

Nichole Geiger
: 5' 6"; Senior

Jenifer Igoe
: 5' 0"; Senior