DENVER – The University of Denver triathlon team announced an addition to the coaching staff on Tuesday as Jax Heil has been named the assistant coach of the program. In this role, he will assist head coach Barbara Perkins in all training and operational needs for the upcoming 2023 campaign.
 
"I'm very excited to welcome Jax to our Denver women's triathlon family. Jax has a great presence and really connects with people instantly," Perkins said. "He approaches coaching from a people-first perspective, which I really value. He's worked with elite runners and has experience racing himself. His experience will be instrumental in helping our team to their best performances yet. Jax will bring a lot to our team, and I can't wait for him to join us this fall."
 
Heil is the first assistant coach in program history and will look to help the Pioneers improve on their third-place finish at last year's national championships—the highest-ever placement for a women's program in DU history. Heil has a background in marathon running and competing in sprint and Olympic-distance triathlon races. He has also paced half marathons and has qualified for both the Boston and Chicago Marathons.
 
"It became clear throughout the interview process that coaching with the competitive DU Triathlon program is the perfect situation for me," Heil said. "Having the opportunity to learn from an accomplished coach such as Barbara Perkins and coach a tight-knit team such as DU's is an amazing opportunity. I am especially looking forward to bringing experience working on the mental side of sport to the team, pairing mental skills with the endurance training the team performs."
 
From Kalamazoo, Michigan, Heil has coached runners of various experiences for the past two years, serving as the Ottawa Hills High School Cross Country and Track Field Coach in Grand Rapids since February 2022. Prior to that, he was the head cross country coach at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science. He credits his time at Ottawa Hills with crafting his coaching philosophy and helping him recognize the impact mental skills have on endurance sports.
 
Graduating with his Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Calvin University in Grand Rapids in 2021, Heil earned his Master of Social Work, Organization and Community Leadership in May 2023 from Michigan State University. Heil was a John M. Perkins Leadership Fellow and a Presidential Fellow at Calvin and was an Advocacy Scholar and Research Scholar at MSU.
 
He is currently working toward his Doctorate Degree in Social work at the University of Denver, where he has received a Graduate Education Doctorial Fellowship.
 
 
Visit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU's NCAA Division I sports
Like Denver Pioneers and Denver Women's Triathlon on Facebook
Follow @DU_Pioneers and @denverwomenstri on Twitter
Follow @DenverPioneers and @denverwomenstri on Instagram