About Us

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THE HIGH SCHOOL TRICLUB

is a certified 501c3 non profit organization...

Our mission as a non-profit organization is to assist High School kids in living a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives.
We do Triathlons not to compete against others; rather for the camaraderie of training, feeling better, and feeling fulfilled by crossing the finish line.

HSTriClub is also a certified USAT Club!

CERTIFIED COACHING

Dan Engelhard

Founder and Coach

Dan Engelhard started the HSTriClub to motivate kids to learn how to be active and healthy for the rest of their lives. He hopes to encourage teens to spend less time on electronics by providing them with a healthy alternative that is not only fun, but also rewarding. He gets a kick out seeing less motivated high school kids complete their 1st triathlon, even if they come in last.
Dan has been an enthusiastic USAT Level 1 coach since 2013 and received his USAT Youth and Junior certification in 2021.
He regularly participates in many local triathlons, trail/road races, 10 Bike MS’s in a row, 10 marathons, 30 Olympic triathlons, seven ½ Ironmans and two full Ironmans (and counting...)!

Fun Fact: Dan has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Mizzou and MBA from University of Louisville.

Jackie Lyons

Swim Coach

Jackie began helping with High School Tri Club in 2019 when her son, Mitch, joined the club. Jackie's first love has always been water. Whether pool, river, lake or ocean, she is happiest when swimming, boating or kayaking. Jackie began swimming competitively as a child and continued through high school. At 16, she taught her first swim lesson and has never stopped helping infants to adults learn to love the water and improve their skills. For over 15 years, Jackie has coached all levels of competitive swim including summer recreational teams, YMCA and USA club teams. Her goal is to help all HS Tri Club members to swim smarter, not harder. Understanding the biomechanics of strokes will help make them feel comfortable and confident with the swim portion of races.

Fun Fact: Jackie has lived in multiple states. She was born in New Hampshire, graduated college in Wisconsin, and would call Northern California her favorite place to live.

Luke Gilsinger

Mentor, Core Coach, Running Coach

Luke was a high school and college soccer player and runner on the track team. During the offseason of his sophomore year of high school, Dan (his Uncle) convinced him to come out and train with the Tri Club to stay in good shape for the upcoming soccer season. He loved challenging himself with a different style of training and the great people he met in club, and he has been training and coaching/mentoring with the club ever since.

Fun Fact: He Received a BS in Mathematics from Maryville University and a BS in Computer Science from UMKC while competing in his sports and now works as a Software Engineer in St. Louis.

Josh and Katie Brown

Coach and Mentors

Josh and Katie are both originally from Iowa, but have lived in St. Charles County for more than 20 years. Katie is an avid runner and loves the simplicity and joy of the sport. “Just put your shoes on and go!” is probably her favorite thing about it. She has coached cross country teams as well as soccer teams, and has never been one to sit by and watch when something needs to be done-- she leads by example with dedication and a strong work ethic.
Josh has competed as part of a 4-man team in RAAM. The Race Across America is a road race from California to Maryland. He logged over 800 miles during the 8-day race. It runs right through St. Charles County every summer!
Both Josh and Katie have received their USAT Associate Level Online Coach Certification, and are excited to become two of our newest coaches here at HSTriClub!

Fun Fact:
Katie has now run 4 miles or completed some sort of physical exercise for at least an hour a day for over a year now!

Fun Fact: Regan is a musician, and joined two of her friends in singing the National Anthem at the HSTriClub's 3rd Annual J.C.B Race!

Regan McClaskey

Mentor and Social Media Management

Regan McClaskey is a energetic mentor here at HSTriClub. She first began as a fellow participant in the spring of 2016, and loved it so much that she went on to continue as a assistant coach and mentor.
Regan is passionate about health and fitness, and hopes to help and inspire people of all ages to just get up and move.
You may have seen her floating around on social media...that's because she manages all of the social media communication and online marketing for HSTriClub! Regan is artistically inclined, so if you need a graphic, video, or website...she's your go-to-gal.

Regan is so excited to continue working with the local high school students, and can't wait to see you for the 2021 season!

GOOD READS.

a few of our members were featured in this book!

William Marsiglio

professor of sociology at the University of Florida and the author of 11 books including "Dads, Kids & Fitness: A Father’s Guide to Family Health."

As a social scientist, parent, and sports enthusiast,
William Marsiglio champions the virtues of an emerging
sport, a slice of American sports culture—youth triathlon.
Kids Who Tri systematically explores the links between
youth triathlon, models of youth sports, and
childrearing/coaching philosophies, while offering
readers an insider’s view of the dynamic youth triathlon
community. Drawing on interviews with parents,
coaches, race directors, USA Triathlon staff, and young
triathletes, as well as more than six years of intensive
personal observations as “a tri-dad,” Marsiglio shows
how embracing the multisport spirit teaches youth seven
key life lessons while empowering them.

Congratulations, Coach Dan!

USA TRIATHLON ANNOUNCES 2020 COACHES OF THE YEAR
Awardees honored for contributions to community impact, coaching education, athlete development and volunteer service in unusual triathlon season.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today recognized six of its most influential coaches as 2020 Coaches of the Year for their contributions during the unusual 2020 triathlon season. The awards for 2020 focused on athlete development, community impact, volunteer service and coaching education — areas where awardees provided immense value during a season in which most elite and national racing was put on pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Volunteer Coach of the Year: Dan Engelhard

The Volunteer Coach of the Year award honors a coach who does not receive payment in any form for their involvement in coaching at any level.

Dan Engelhard is the head coach of the St. Louis High School Triathlon Club — better known simply as High School TriClub — a non-competitive, participation-based club whose goal is to address the health crisis in America by teaching youth how to take care of their bodies.

Engelhard has continued to grow youth participation despite the challenges of the past year. He has organized outdoor training and activities allowing for social distancing and encouraging parent participation. With the help of parents who convinced their neighborhood association to allow a private event under strict COVID-19 safety protocols, Engelhard was able to coordinate, organize and recruit volunteers to host a sprint-distance triathlon for members of the High School TriClub. Engelhard’s enthusiasm has caused the High School TriClub to grow annually.

USA Triathlon is committed to providing its certified coaches unparalleled resources to ensure they are qualified, confident and successful throughout their coaching career. The coaching education department develops prospective coaches, cultivates the need for coaches within the multisport community and assists coaches in turning their passions into vocations. USA Triathlon’s coaching certification program provides standards of quality and credibility in the marketplace, encourages the need for coaches within the triathlon community, prepares and motivates coaches to be leaders among youth, high school, collegiate, NCAA women’s programs and underserved groups, and helps turn passions into careers.

About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors – as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation – USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).

Check it out.

The HSTriClub made an appearance on the official USAT High School Program video!