SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Drury triathlon heads to the NCAA National Championship, hosted by Arizona State, on Sunday, Nov. 8.
 
The Panthers enter the championship coming off their third consecutive West Regional title, placing four athletes among the top 10 individual finishers. Freshman Katharina Scherb led Drury with a runner-up finish in 1:07:39. Earlier this season, Scherb recorded the fourth-fastest time in program history, winning the Prairie State Cup in 1:03:29.
 
Last season, Drury finished third at the national championship, earning five All-America honors. Kristina Vestman returns after earning second-team All-America honors with a 13th-place finish, while Cayman Barnes also returns to Tempe after receiving honorable mention recognition a year ago.
 
Program record-holder Eszter Vas also returns to the national stage after missing last year's championship due to injury. Vas set the program record of 1:02:33 at the 2025 Prairie State Cup.
 
Due to recent heavy rainfall and water releases into Tempe Town Lake, the championship will be contested as a duathlon rather than a triathlon. Water-quality testing after last weekend's storms found conditions unsafe for swimming, prompting officials to eliminate the swim portion of the race. The revised format will consist of a 2.5-kilometer run, a 20-kilometer bike ride, and a 5-kilometer run.
 
The Panthers have finished third at each of the past two national championships and will look to capture their first national title on Sunday.

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