Former Jayhawk Swimmer Wins Triathlon

Oct. 31, 2012

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kelly (Burke) Dippold finished first in the female 50-54 group at the 2012 Barfoot&Thompson World Triathlon in Auckland, New Zealand, with a total time of 2:28.21 Oct. 20-22.

The ITU World Triathlon series is an innovative series that allows the world’s top athletes to compete head-to-head on an ongoing basis. Expanding upon the previous single-day World Championship, the format features seven world-class events and finishes with an exciting Grand Final in Auckland, New Zealand. The 2012 ITU World Triathlon Series kicked off in April in Sydney, Australia and features eight events in eight different countries. The event challenges athletes in three events, including swimming, biking and running, while pitting them against some of the best athletes in the world at their age level.

Dippold, a native of Manchester, Mo., was a member of the Kansas swimming and diving team from 1982-84 and received All-American honors for the 1982 season. Dippold set a Big Eight record and qualified for NCAA nationals in the 200-yard breaststroke and was an Olympic trail qualifier in the 400-yard IM.

This year’s Jayhawks will be back in action this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3, when they host a double dual meet with new conference foe TCU and North Dakota at Robinson Natatorium. Action is slated to start at 6 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday.

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