10/27/2026 3:00:00 PM | General, Men's Triathlon, Women's Triathlon, Triathlon, The Royals Club
When Jarrell Hibler '20 transferred to Queens as a junior in 2018, he wanted a place to race, but only a few schools offered triathlon. After visiting Charlotte and meeting the team, he chose Queens and spent the summer before classes training alongside his new teammates. Eight years later, he's back with the program in a new role, as the founder of a Charlotte-based digital marketing agency and the first jersey-patch sponsor in Queens Triathlon history. Â
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Hibler's path from collegiate triathlete to full-time entrepreneur wasn't what he'd been planning as a student. He graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor of Science in exercise and sport science, on track for physical therapy school. When COVID-19 shut down the clinics where he was building his shadowing hours, his application timeline stalled. So he used the time to learn something new, not realizing where it would lead. He launched e-commerce stores, taught himself marketing through online courses and mentorships, and sold his first website. Along the way, he saw how often agencies fell short of the results they promised, and he set out to build a better one. Â
With that, Premier Marketing was born. In six years, the business has grown from Hibler and a laptop to a team of 30 serving more than 100 clients across real estate, wellness, technology, and consumer products. Premier runs social, content, and strategy for brands ready to stand out, built on Hibler's belief that the businesses that win are the ones brave enough to do things differently. He already has three new ventures in development. Â
Through it all, Hibler has stayed close to Queens Triathlon, largely through his friendship with classmate Miles Fowler '20. The two shared a major and many of the same classes, and they kept a standing Thursday dinner for eight years, until this summer. Fowler stayed with the program as an assistant coach and became its director in 2022 before changing career paths and relocating. Over one of their dinners, Fowler asked whether Hibler would ever consider sponsoring the team.Â
As an alumnus of the program, Hibler knows exactly what the team needs to compete nationally, and he wanted to help in a way the athletes could see and feel. His sponsorship is twofold — providing necessary resources for the team while helping build Premier's brand.Â
Hibler's support goes beyond the patch, too. Premier will work with the new director of triathlon, Roee Zoarets, to help the team shape its social media strategy and raise Queens Triathlon's profile with recruits, fans, and future sponsors. Expanding reach is critical for a roster that has long drawn athletes from more than a dozen countries. Â
"Hopefully this sparks other sponsors in the future, not just for triathlon but for other teams at Queens," Hibler said. Â
Giving back is a habit for Hibler well beyond campus. For the past two years, he has volunteered with SCORE, the national nonprofit that supports early-stage entrepreneurs, mentoring about 20 business owners each month on marketing and social strategy. That work, along with Premier's growth, earned him a nomination for Elevate Lifestyle's 30 Under 30. Â
For current Royals, his advice comes from his own experience: start early, be proactive, and lead with value. Â
"Take advantage of the position you're in right now as a Queens student," he said. "People are more open to a student. Be value-driven rather than just asking for things, and they'll be more willing to give something in return."Â Â
If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring a team or Queens Athletics, please reach out to Brandon Johnson, deputy athletic director for external operations, at johnsonb4@queens.edu.Â
