Erika Ackerlund

Name: Erika Ackerlund
Sport: Triathlon
Birthdate: May 14, 1996 
Hometown: Helena, Mont.
Current Residence: Boulder, Colo.
College: University of Montana

Career Highlights

Top-ten finish at the 2021 World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg
Top-five finish at the 2018 World Triathlon Cup Huatulco
2016 NCAA Women's Varsity Triathlon National Champion

Personal

Erika Ackerlund found the sport of triathlon during her freshman year of college at the University of Montana. She quickly found success in the racing circuit, becoming the overall national champion at the NCAA Women's Varsity National Championship in 2016. She earned her first elite win at the 2017 Richmond CAMTRI Sprint Triathlon American Cup and since then has tallied a list of top finishes across the World Triathlon circuit. She graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and she was a presidential scholar, earning her degree Summa Cum Laude. In 2021, she competed in her first World Triathlon Championship Series races in the elite division and earned a top-ten finish in only her second elite WTCS showing.

Elite Triathlon Career

2022: Opened up the season at the World Triathlon Championship Series 2022 year opener in Yokohama, Japan on May 14 where she placed 15th • Finished 26th at the World Triathlon Championship Series race in Leeds, England on June 11 • The following day competed as a part of the Mixed Relay team in Leeds for the U.S. alongside Matt Mcelroy, Taylor Spivey and Seth Rider, where the team finished 9th on June 12 • Had a top-20 finish at WTCS Hamburg, Germany on July 9 • On July 10 in Hamburg, Germany she competed on Team USA in the Mixed Relay event, where alongside Taylor Spivey, Chase McQueen and Seth Rider they finished 13th • Crossed the line 18th overall at the World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic on September 11 • Had another top-10 elite finish in the WTCS season by placing 20th in Cagliari, Italy on October 8 • Placed 14th at the World Triathlon Championship Series Bermuda event on November 6 • Finished 18th in Abu Dhabi, UAE at the World Triathlon Championship Series Finals on November 25th to ultimately place 22nd in the Series rankings.

2021: Started her season finishing fifth at the Americas Triathlon Cup in Long Beach, California on July 18 • Made it to the top-20 in the super sprint challenge weekend at the Groupe Copley World Triathlon Championship Series in Montreal, ultimately finishing 18th on August 14 • Had a top-ten finish, placing 8th overall at the World Triathlon Cup Karlovy Vary on September 8  •  Earned her best career WTCS finish by finishing 10th at the Hamburg Wasser World Triathlon Championship Series Hamburg on September 18 • Competed as the opener for Team USA in the Mixed Relay event alongside Chase McQueen, Summer Rappaport and Seth Rider, coming in fifth in Hamburg on September 19 • Ended the year by coming in 15th at the World Triathlon Championship Series Abu Dhabi on November 5, where she earned points counting toward the 2022 WTCS ranking.