Colorado Mesa University added its 26th varsity sport last week. The sport? Triathlon.

Currently there are only 16 other schools across the nation that also support the sport of triathlon.

“Our service area is such a high level multi-sport area, and we’ve got some student interest in the activity that it just made logical sense that we take advantage of our surrounding area,” athletic director Tom Spicer said.

With more than 400 scholastic athletes competing in the sport of triathlon in Colorado alone, it’s a viable recruiting option for the university.

As for now, Spicer says there are upwards of five athletes on campus that are interested in competing for the newly added sport. The growth and control of the discipline is very important to Spicer as it moves forward.

“I think we’re going to have a base of 6-8 per discipline for men and women in this first year. We’re going to do that intentionally so that we can control it, and basically grow it. On a three year plan we hope to have 15 minimum in each program,” Spicer said.

The current swim coach, Geoff Hanson, will take on the head coaching duties being a former triathlete himself.

“It’s a natural fit. He is a former triathlete himself and he has coached triathlon professionally as well as collegiately.”

The current national championships are held by USA Triathlon and are hosted in Tempe, Ariz.

The Mavericks will compete in this upcoming fall where the team expects to compete in four different events including the West Regional held in Berkeley, Cali.