Updated: Sept. 13 with video

While Rapid City slept at 3am Sunday morning, half a world away in Beijing Rapid City Central High School senior, Tony Smoragiewicz, won the bronze medal at International Triathlon Union Junior Men’s World Championship in Beijing. Racing against USA teammate and friend, Lukas Verzbicas, who won the gold, and European champion Justus Nieschlag of Germany, Smoragiewicz won the bronze in a time of 56:59.

The Junior Men’s Championship was a triathlon sprint that included a 750 meter swim, a 20k bicycle ride, and a 5k run.

Smoragiewicz has been training in Beijing for a week, and now comes back to the South Dakota cross country season, where he is reigning champion. What’s a little overdue homework when you’re wearing a world championship bronze medal?