2024 Women's Triathlon Roster
Ava Pfaff
- Height:
- 5-7
- Class:
- Freshman
- High School:
- Avon Grove H.S.
- Hometown:
- West Grove, Pennsylvania
Honors & Awards:
2024 CTCA Division I Scholar All-American Honorable Mention
Collegiate Career Breakdown
Races Entered: 5
Races Finished: 4
Best Finish: 2nd (Southern Hills Triathlon Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
Top 20: 1
Top 10: 1
Top 5: 1
Podiums: 1
Wins: ---
Collegiate Personal Records
750m Swim: 9:45 (Western Regional Championships, Sprinfield, Mo., 10/12/24)
375m Swim: 5:51 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
20K Bike: 30:36 (National Championships, Clermont, Fla., 11/9/24)
10K Bike: 16:51 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
5K Run: 19:58 (National Championships, Clermont, Fla., 11/9/24)
2.5K Run: 9:20 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
2024: Placed second in her collegiate debut at the Southern Hills Triathlon Super Sprint on Aug. 31 in Hot Springs, S.D., in 32:46 (5:51/16:51/9:20) … The runner-up finish made her the fifth Pioneer to earn a podium result in her debut race and was the second-best result in a three-sport meet behind only Maira Carreau's win at the 2023 Black Hills Collegiate Cup … Did not finish the Battle in the Fort Collegiate Cup in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 29 after crashing on the bike portion (9:55/DNF bike) … Was 23rd in 1:06:19 (9:45/33:02/21:42) at the Western Regional Championships in Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 12 … Finished 37th in 1:02:19 (9:59/30:36/19:58) at her first Collegiate National Championships on Nov. 9 in Clermont, Fla. … Did not race at the 2025 Clermont Challenge in the spring on March 1-2 (injury) … Finished her freshman campaign by coming in 43rd overall and was the fifth-fastest among athletes born in 2003 or earlier at the Americas Cup Miami race with a time of 59:43 (9:59/27:35/20:56) while battling high winds at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 28.
Before Denver: Previously competed for Yoder Performance club … Won the USA Triathlon Age Group (15-19) Sprint National Championship in August 2023 … Placed second in the 2022 Age Group Sprint National Championships, finishing behind only DU alum Freya McKinley … Helped Team USA win the Age Group 15-19 Mixed Team Relay at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, Germany, on July 16, 2023 … Finished runner-up in the Age Group 16-19 Individual Sprint at the World Championships on July 14, 2023 … Made her junior elite debut and placed 10th at the Americas Triathlon Championships in Miami on March 8, 2024 … Helped Team Stars & Stripes Racing to the Mixed Team Relay title at the 2024 USA Junior Elite National Championships on July 14, 2024 … Won her age group (15-19) and placed second overall in the 2023 Kinetic Multisport Series rankings … Was a team captain in 2023-24 on both Avon Grove High School’s cross country and swimming teams … Twice qualified for the Pennsylvania high school state championships in both cross country and swimming … Was the recipient of the “Coaches Award” in cross country twice and once in swimming while at Avon Grove … Personal Records: 5K run on track, 18:40; 100-yard freestyle swim, 53.18; 200-yard freestyle swim 1:57.52; 100-yard butterfly, 58.42.
Personal: Has two older sisters, who were also NCAA Division-I athletes ... Graduated from Avon Grove High School in 2024 where she was the historian for both the National Honors Society and Student Council and participated in Habitat for Humanity … Earned academic distinguished honors all four years at AGHS … Intends to major in real estate and built environment at DU … Wants to pursue a career in both real estate and professional triathlon after college … Began doing triathlons at age 6 … Also participated in lacrosse, gymnastics, cross country and track running, swimming, soccer, horseback riding and wakeboarding while growing up … Has been riding horses since age 3 and also enjoys hiking and water sports.
Why DU: “I chose the University of Denver because of the environment. The campus is breathtaking with proximity to various off-campus training sights. Coaches Barbara Perkins, Jax Heil, Scott Batula and the team are so welcoming, and I already felt like a part of the DU family.”
Why Triathlon: “Growing up, I did just about every sport under the sun. No single sport stuck because I would become bored and burned out after a few years. In the sport of triathlon, having the opportunity to train in three sports keeps me physically and mentally busy.”
2024 CTCA Division I Scholar All-American Honorable Mention
Collegiate Career Breakdown
Races Entered: 5
Races Finished: 4
Best Finish: 2nd (Southern Hills Triathlon Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
Top 20: 1
Top 10: 1
Top 5: 1
Podiums: 1
Wins: ---
Collegiate Personal Records
750m Swim: 9:45 (Western Regional Championships, Sprinfield, Mo., 10/12/24)
375m Swim: 5:51 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
20K Bike: 30:36 (National Championships, Clermont, Fla., 11/9/24)
10K Bike: 16:51 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
5K Run: 19:58 (National Championships, Clermont, Fla., 11/9/24)
2.5K Run: 9:20 (Southern Hills Super Sprint, Hot Springs, S.D., 8/31/24)
2024: Placed second in her collegiate debut at the Southern Hills Triathlon Super Sprint on Aug. 31 in Hot Springs, S.D., in 32:46 (5:51/16:51/9:20) … The runner-up finish made her the fifth Pioneer to earn a podium result in her debut race and was the second-best result in a three-sport meet behind only Maira Carreau's win at the 2023 Black Hills Collegiate Cup … Did not finish the Battle in the Fort Collegiate Cup in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sept. 29 after crashing on the bike portion (9:55/DNF bike) … Was 23rd in 1:06:19 (9:45/33:02/21:42) at the Western Regional Championships in Springfield, Mo., on Oct. 12 … Finished 37th in 1:02:19 (9:59/30:36/19:58) at her first Collegiate National Championships on Nov. 9 in Clermont, Fla. … Did not race at the 2025 Clermont Challenge in the spring on March 1-2 (injury) … Finished her freshman campaign by coming in 43rd overall and was the fifth-fastest among athletes born in 2003 or earlier at the Americas Cup Miami race with a time of 59:43 (9:59/27:35/20:56) while battling high winds at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 28.
Before Denver: Previously competed for Yoder Performance club … Won the USA Triathlon Age Group (15-19) Sprint National Championship in August 2023 … Placed second in the 2022 Age Group Sprint National Championships, finishing behind only DU alum Freya McKinley … Helped Team USA win the Age Group 15-19 Mixed Team Relay at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, Germany, on July 16, 2023 … Finished runner-up in the Age Group 16-19 Individual Sprint at the World Championships on July 14, 2023 … Made her junior elite debut and placed 10th at the Americas Triathlon Championships in Miami on March 8, 2024 … Helped Team Stars & Stripes Racing to the Mixed Team Relay title at the 2024 USA Junior Elite National Championships on July 14, 2024 … Won her age group (15-19) and placed second overall in the 2023 Kinetic Multisport Series rankings … Was a team captain in 2023-24 on both Avon Grove High School’s cross country and swimming teams … Twice qualified for the Pennsylvania high school state championships in both cross country and swimming … Was the recipient of the “Coaches Award” in cross country twice and once in swimming while at Avon Grove … Personal Records: 5K run on track, 18:40; 100-yard freestyle swim, 53.18; 200-yard freestyle swim 1:57.52; 100-yard butterfly, 58.42.
Personal: Has two older sisters, who were also NCAA Division-I athletes ... Graduated from Avon Grove High School in 2024 where she was the historian for both the National Honors Society and Student Council and participated in Habitat for Humanity … Earned academic distinguished honors all four years at AGHS … Intends to major in real estate and built environment at DU … Wants to pursue a career in both real estate and professional triathlon after college … Began doing triathlons at age 6 … Also participated in lacrosse, gymnastics, cross country and track running, swimming, soccer, horseback riding and wakeboarding while growing up … Has been riding horses since age 3 and also enjoys hiking and water sports.
Why DU: “I chose the University of Denver because of the environment. The campus is breathtaking with proximity to various off-campus training sights. Coaches Barbara Perkins, Jax Heil, Scott Batula and the team are so welcoming, and I already felt like a part of the DU family.”
Why Triathlon: “Growing up, I did just about every sport under the sun. No single sport stuck because I would become bored and burned out after a few years. In the sport of triathlon, having the opportunity to train in three sports keeps me physically and mentally busy.”
Thursday, August 06
Monday, August 03
Thursday, July 16
Thursday, July 09
