Wildcat Triathletes Garner Scholar All-American Honors

6/14/2021 10:41:00 AM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

AMHERST, N.Y. - Five Daemen College triathletes have been named Scholar All-Americans by USA Triathlon and the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association. The award is presented to student-athletes who achieved a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher during the Spring 2021 semester.

Redshirt senior Amber Custodi (Ransomville, N.Y.), sophomores Courtney Merrill (Speedway, Ind.) and Caitlyn Yap (Kennesaw, Ga.) and freshmen Bella Buenting (Chanhassen, Minn.) and Lydia Smith (Williamsport, Pa.) are Daemen's Scholar All-American recipients. The group represents over 70% of the Wildcats' 2020-21 roster. Smith is a first-time Scholar-Athlete recipient, while Merrill and Yap earn the honor for a second straight year. Custodi, meanwhile, is now a three-time Scholar-Athlete honoree. Custodi, Merrill and Buenting are all Physical Therapy majors. Yap is a Physician Assistant major, and Smith is studying Nursing.

Scholar All-American status is usually given to those athletes who achieve high academically while also competing in the Collegiate Triathlon National Championship. The competition requirement was waived for 2020-21 following the cancelation of the national championship meet last November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Daemen's triathletes were able to return to competition in mid-April when they participated in the East Region Invitational held as part of the Hyco Lake Triathlon in Leasburg, N.C.

The announcement of individual Scholar All-Americans comes after the program, under the direction of veteran head coach Jon Metz, was named a Scholar All-American Team following the Fall 2020 semester. Metz has led the program since its inception in 2015. The NCAA deemed triathlon an Emerging Sport for Women in 2014, establishing a 10-year window to grow the sport at the collegiate ranks. At present, Daemen is one of 37 NCAA-member institutions to offer women's triathlon as a varsity sport.

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.

Print Friendly Version