SAN FRANCISCO – Ahead of its cross country season starting next month and its track & field seasons to follow, Academy of Art is set to welcome Sebastian Rivera Del Hierro (Mexico City/Queens University), a multi-talented graduate student transfer with extensive triathlon experience, as announced by Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Kevin LaSure and his staff.

"Sebastian showed flashes of his running ability at Queens while balancing being a triathlete," said Cross Country Head Coach and Track & Field Assistant Coach Bruce Jackson. "I look forward to seeing his development when focusing on only one discipline."

En route to completing his undergraduate career at Queens University of Charlotte, Rivera Del Hierro competed for the Royals' triathlon team for four years and ran track during the 2021 campaign. His track & field debut came in the indoor 3000m and he would later run a 5000m personal record of 14:54.02 at the 2021 South Atlantic Conference Outdoor Championships. Rivera Del Hierro finished the season going 30:54.27 in the 10,000m at the Lee University Last Chance.

Rivera Del Hierro's 2019 triathlon campaign was highlighted by his contributions to the team's third consecutive Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Triathlon Conference Championship en route to its first USA-Triathlon Collegiate Club national title while serving as team captain.

Prior to Queens, Rivera Del Hierro could be found as a member of the Mexico's Triathlon National Team, finishing inside the top 10 back-to-back years at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final. He also competed in triathlon while at London School of Learning. In his career, Rivera Del Hierro's best triathlon time was 53:16 which came at the 2021 Europe Triathlon Cup.

Rivera Del Hierro will work toward his future goal of becoming a landscape architect when he begins his graduate program in the Academy of Art School of Landscape Architecture.