Navy Women’s Triathlon Makes History With Third-Place Regional Finish as Cashin and Wilkinson Qualify for Nationals
By Brian Hradsky
October 20, 2026
The Navy Midshipmen women’s triathlon team delivered a historic performance Saturday, October 17, finishing third at the NCAA East Regional Qualifier in Lake Lanier, Georgia, while securing two automatic individual berths in the national championship. Junior Dylan Cashin and sophomore Keira Wilkinson led the Midshipmen with top-20 finishes, earning invitations to the Collegiate Triathlon National Championship on November 8 in Tempe, Arizona. Navy accumulated 674 points to match Duquesne but claimed third place through a fifth-athlete tiebreaker, recording the highest regional finish in the program’s varsity history. The achievement marked a significant step forward for a team that finished eighth at the regional championship in each of the previous two seasons.
Navy Secures Historic Third-Place Finish
The Midshipmen entered Saturday’s competition looking to build on an impressive regular season that included two collegiate cup victories and a strong showing at their inaugural home meet. Navy faced a competitive regional field featuring several established programs, including Queens, Duquesne and Wingate. Wingate captured the team championship with 743 points, while Queens finished second with 705 points. Navy and Duquesne each totaled 674 points, setting up a dramatic tiebreaker that ultimately determined the final podium position.
Navy secured third place because of a critical performance from Leah Norton, who finished 32nd overall with a time of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 28 seconds. Norton crossed the finish line just 10 seconds ahead of Duquesne’s Vivien Mattice, who placed 34th in 1:08:38. The narrow margin proved decisive because the fifth scoring athlete determined the tiebreaker between the two programs. Norton’s performance demonstrated the importance of Navy’s depth and ensured the Midshipmen earned their best regional finish since women’s triathlon became a varsity sport in 2023.
The result represented a dramatic improvement from Navy’s eighth-place finishes in 2024 and 2025, when the Midshipmen were still developing their varsity program. Navy placed sixth during its inaugural regional appearance in 2023 before experiencing consecutive eighth-place results. Saturday’s third-place finish surpassed all three previous performances and established a new standard for the program. The Midshipmen also demonstrated that their recent regular-season success could translate into results against some of the strongest competition in the region.
Dylan Cashin Leads Navy With Career-Best Performance
Cashin delivered Navy’s top individual performance, finishing 11th overall with a time of 1:05:29. The junior from Amagansett, New York, secured one of the automatic national championship berths awarded to the top 20 finishers in the regional’s top heat. Her performance represented a substantial improvement from her 36th-place finish at the 2025 NCAA East Regional Qualifier. Cashin also established the best individual finish by a Navy athlete at the regional championship since the program gained varsity status.
Cashin demonstrated impressive consistency throughout the race, particularly during the running portion of the competition. She completed the five-kilometer run in 20:08, tying teammate Natalie Wang for the fastest running split among Navy competitors. Her ability to maintain a strong pace after the swimming and cycling segments helped her finish comfortably inside the automatic qualifying positions. The performance continued an impressive collegiate career that has included multiple national championship appearances and strong results against nationally competitive opponents.
Cashin’s achievement gained additional recognition Monday when the Collegiate Triathlon Coaches Association named her to its Division I All-East Region Team. She became the first Navy athlete in program history to receive the honor, which recognizes the leading Division I finishers at the regional competition. The recognition provided another milestone for the Midshipmen and highlighted Cashin’s development into one of the program’s most accomplished competitors. Her performance will give Navy an experienced athlete capable of competing against the nation’s leading collegiate triathletes in November.
Keira Wilkinson Earns National Championship Berth
Wilkinson joined Cashin among the automatic qualifiers after finishing 16th overall with a time of 1:06:06. The sophomore delivered one of her strongest performances of the season, combining effective swimming, cycling and running to secure her place in the national championship field. Her finish represented a major improvement from the previous regional championship, where she placed 59th. Wilkinson’s progression demonstrates the development of Navy’s younger athletes and their increasing ability to compete against established collegiate programs.
The cycling portion proved particularly important for Wilkinson, who recorded Navy’s fastest 20-kilometer bike split at 32:26. Her strong performance on the bike helped establish the position she needed to finish among the top 20 competitors. Wilkinson maintained her momentum through the final running segment and crossed the finish line less than a minute behind Cashin. The two athletes provided Navy with a strong combination near the front of the field and helped establish the foundation for the team’s historic third-place finish.
Wilkinson’s qualification also represented an important individual accomplishment for an athlete still early in her collegiate career. She competed at the national championship during her freshman season and will now have another opportunity to test herself against the country’s strongest collegiate triathletes. Her improvement from 59th to 16th at regionals demonstrates significant progress over the past year. Navy will look for Wilkinson to continue developing as the program prepares for its national championship appearance.
Team Depth Makes the Difference
Although Cashin and Wilkinson earned the automatic national championship invitations, Navy’s overall success depended on strong performances throughout its lineup. Freshman Allison Heine finished 23rd with a time of 1:07:08, giving the Midshipmen a third athlete among the top 25 competitors. Wang followed in 27th place at 1:07:48, while Norton completed the scoring group in 32nd. The five athletes combined to produce the 674 points that secured Navy’s historic podium finish.
Heine’s performance was particularly encouraging because of her limited collegiate experience entering the season. The freshman has already established herself as an important contributor, demonstrating the ability to compete against experienced athletes from established programs. Wang also played a valuable role after overcoming difficulties during the swimming portion of the race. Her ability to recover and finish among the top 30 helped Navy remain competitive with Duquesne throughout the team scoring.
Norton contributed beyond her decisive fifth-place scoring position by recording Navy’s fastest swimming split of the competition. She completed the 750-meter swim in 10:15, demonstrating the strength that helped her remain competitive throughout the event. Navy’s athletes displayed different strengths across the swimming, cycling and running disciplines, allowing the team to maintain balanced performances. That depth ultimately separated the Midshipmen from Duquesne and secured the third-place result.
Complete Navy Individual Results
Nine Midshipmen competed at the NCAA East Regional Qualifier, with several athletes delivering important contributions to the team’s overall performance.
- Dylan Cashin — 11th place, 1:05:29
- Keira Wilkinson — 16th place, 1:06:06
- Allison Heine — 23rd place, 1:07:08
- Natalie Wang — 27th place, 1:07:48
- Leah Norton — 32nd place, 1:08:28
- Madelyn Berry — 41st place, 1:10:17
- Allison Miller — 49th place, 1:11:10
- MC Kistler — 52nd place, 1:11:30
- Julia Lisa — 63rd place, 1:16:52
Edwards Credits Team Leadership and Development
Navy head coach Billy Edwards emphasized the collective effort behind the team’s dramatic improvement from eighth place to third in just one season. Edwards credited the leadership of veteran team captain MC Kistler, who has helped establish the program’s competitive culture. The coaching staff also recognized the importance of contributions throughout the lineup, particularly from athletes who overcame difficult swimming segments before recovering during the cycling and running portions. The result reflected the program’s growing depth and its ability to remain competitive when individual athletes encounter challenges.
The Midshipmen have made significant progress since women’s triathlon became a varsity program in 2023. Navy entered the 2026 season with an experienced group of returning athletes and several promising freshmen, creating an opportunity to improve upon previous regional performances. Earlier this season, the Midshipmen captured team titles at the Beaver County Collegiate Cup and Robious Landing Collegiate Cup during the same September weekend. Those victories helped establish momentum that continued through the regional championship.
Navy also hosted its inaugural Navy Collegiate Cup on October 4, finishing fourth among 10 teams and missing the podium by just one point. The event represented another important milestone for the program, bringing collegiate triathlon competition to the Naval Academy campus. The Midshipmen demonstrated their ability to challenge nationally competitive opponents despite difficult racing circumstances. Saturday’s regional result provided further evidence that Navy has developed into a program capable of competing near the front of major collegiate events.
National Championship Awaits in Arizona
Navy will now prepare for the Collegiate Triathlon National Championship, scheduled for Sunday, November 8, in Tempe, Arizona. Cashin and Wilkinson have already secured automatic individual qualification through their top-20 regional finishes, while additional championship positions are determined through the national selection process. The Midshipmen will look to build on their regional success and continue improving against the country’s leading collegiate programs. The championship will provide another opportunity for Navy to measure its progress against established national contenders.
The national championship follows a sprint-distance format featuring swimming, cycling and running, requiring athletes to maintain consistent performances across all three disciplines. Navy’s regional results demonstrated that the program has competitors capable of excelling in different portions of the race. Cashin and Wang provided strong running performances, Wilkinson led the team in cycling, and Norton delivered its fastest swim. Combining those strengths into complete performances will be important as the Midshipmen prepare for the national stage.
MSB Take
Navy women’s triathlon has made remarkable progress in a relatively short period, and Saturday’s third-place regional finish represents one of the most significant achievements in the program’s history. Improving from eighth place to third in a single season demonstrates the impact of stronger depth, experienced leadership and continued athlete development. Cashin and Wilkinson deserve recognition for securing automatic national championship berths, but the team’s overall performance was equally impressive. Norton’s narrow advantage in the fifth-scorer tiebreaker demonstrated how every athlete can influence the outcome of a major collegiate competition.
Cashin’s historic All-East Region recognition provides another reason for optimism as Navy prepares for the national championship. Her 11th-place finish established a program record, while Wilkinson’s improvement from 59th to 16th at regionals demonstrated the development taking place throughout the roster. The contributions from Heine, Wang and Norton showed that Navy is building more than a program dependent on one or two standout athletes. That balance will be essential if the Midshipmen hope to continue climbing the national standings.
The upcoming national championship represents an opportunity for Navy to turn an outstanding regional performance into another program milestone. The Midshipmen have already exceeded their previous regional results and demonstrated they can compete with strong programs such as Duquesne. Edwards has established a competitive foundation that continues producing measurable improvement, and the team’s recent success should provide considerable confidence heading into November. Navy has positioned itself for another meaningful postseason performance, with the potential to continue raising expectations for the program.
