St. Louisan Jillian Petersen has joined Sarah Haskins at the Olympic triathlon training center in Colorado Springs for elite athletes.

Petersen got 2008 off to a good start, finishing 3rd last weekend in the International Triathlon Union’s Pan American Cup in Valle de Bravo, Mexico. She is scheduled to compete in a World Cup event in New Zealand next month.

A graduate of Francis Howell High, Petersen has been swimming since age 8 and was a state champion in cross country (2000),  1,600 and 3,200 (2001). She then attended the University of Missouri, where she was all Big 12 in cross country, the indoor mile, outdoor 1,500 and the indoors 5,000 meters.  She took up triathlons in 2006 and was 20-24 national champion. She was accepted into the elite development program in December and will spend a couple years in Colorado Springs.