CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens Director of Triathlon Sonni Dyer has made the decision to step away from collegiate coaching, the Department of Athletics announced today. Dyer has led the Royals triathlon programs since he was hired as head triathlon coach shortly after the addition of men's and women's triathlon as club sports in 2014. Dyer and Queens have since grown the program to include a women's Division I varsity team that competes as an NCAA emerging sport.
 
"Sonni came to Queens with a great passion to grow the sport of triathlon at the collegiate level, and he did just that," Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout stated. "The early success that our programs saw at the national level helped to create a buzz around the sport in the southeast region, leading others to seek his expertise on how best to add programs to their departments. His strategy and vision proved to be very successful as more women's programs were added across all NCAA divisions."
 
Since competing in their inaugural 2015-16 season, Dyer and the Queens triathlon programs have totaled 15 national team championships, winning six DII varsity women's collegiate titles, four men's club titles, and five USAT collegiate overall titles. Additionally, the programs have six individual national titles and five of the last six USAT Collegiate Club Mixed Team Relay Championships. Queens' women have dominated the region at the DII and DI level having won seven out of nine East Region Championships, while 38 members of the women's NCAA emerging team have been honored as CTCA All-Americans.
 
On the global stage, three former Royals have competed in the Olympic Games with one earning silver in Paris, and four athletes have made it to podium at the World Cup.
 
"Sonni will leave behind a legacy at Queens," Swarthout added. "He was able to transition our Division II powerhouse women's triathlon team to Division I, where they have been able to continue finding success, competing among top athletes in the world. We wish him all the best as he moves into this new chapter, and we look forward to our programs continuing to be at the forefront of the sport."
 
Since leveling up to DI in 2022, the women's NCAA emerging squad has finished top three at each of the national championship events. Racing to second place in 2022 and 2023, the Royals took third in 2024 with Dyer earning CTCA DI Coach of the Year honors. It was the second time that Dyer was named coach of the year, earning the honor at the DII level in 2021 as well. In the spring, the club teams captured their fifth straight overall title, putting a bow on Dyer's storied career at the helm of the Royals triathlon programs.
 
"I want to thank Cherie Swarthout, Leah Bracket, Coach Miles Fowler, my wife Sandy who was a volunteer coach through this whole journey, and the entire Royals family for their commitment to Queens Triathlon over the last decade," Dyer commented. "The experience to build and lead this program and its student-athletes to 15 national team titles has been something that I can never forget. I'm proud of the way that we've served as a model, collegiately, in our sport for other institutions to follow. At the beginning of each season, I would annually challenge our teams to "get to FOR" - living, training, and competing FOR the team. Impressing upon our men and women that our gifts are not merely for us, but rather to serve one another. Thank you, Queens. And Go Royals."
 
The search for a new Queens director of triathlon is currently underway.