MacLean, Rubio & Wang Qualify For NCAA Outdoor Championships

Audrey MacLean, Emily Rubio and Zoe Wang of the Middlebury women’s track and field squad have qualified for the 2025 NCAA Championship. The top-22 in each event punched their ticket to the event that begins on Thursday, May 22 from.the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field facility in Geneva, Ohio.
 
MACLEAN’S HIGHLIGHTS

• MacLean has picked up where she left off after a stellar rookie campaign, qualifying for the NCAA Championship for the second-consecutive season and fourth overall. She also made the national finals for cross country in each of the last two campaigns.
• The Panther punched her ticket to the Buckeye State in the 3,000 steeplechase and 5,000-meter run. MacLean comes into the championship with the fastest time in Division III for the steeplechase (16:36.94) clocked during the NESCAC Championship and is ranked 12th in the 5,000 at 10:21.15. 
• Her time in the 5,000 is less than 20 seconds from the top performance in the Mideast Region that was clocked by Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge (16:17.29).
• MacLean won the steeplechase at the conference championship and claimed second at the Aztec Invitational that featured competitors from all three NCAA Divisions. 
• In the 5,000, the Panther has finished as the runner-up in three-consecutive meets and comes off her career-best time from the Farley Inter Regional Extravaganza hosted by Williams.
• At last season’s NCAA Championship in South Carolina, MacLean claimed All-American honors with her sixth-place showing in the steeplechase.

RUBIO’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Rubio makes her second-career appearance in the NCAA Championship after claiming 21st place in the heptathlon at the 2023 version as a rookie.
• In the high jump, Rubio sits tied for 19th in the country with a career-best leap of 1.67 meters recorded during the Carla Coffey Invitational. 
• The Panther tallied an All-American nod during the winter championships, placing 12th in the pentathlon.
• Rubio is a four-time USTFCCCA All-Region honoree.

WANG’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Wang makes her initial NCAA postseason appearance.
• The senior comes off a program-record pole vault performance at the MIT Final Qualifier, clearing a height of 3.83m. That mark is fourth regionally and tied for 19th in Division III.
• Wang has claimed top-five finishes in four appearances this spring. 
• The Panther has earned All-NESCAC recognition twice and tallied two all-region honors in the event over her career for Middlebury.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

• There will be a new champion in the 3,000 steeplechase as Central’s Megan Johnson graduated.
• Calvin’s Sophie Bull is the lone returner who finished in the top five during last year’s championships. The Knight is right behind MacLean, stopping the clock at 10:24.32 during the WashU Distance Carnival on March 27. Keira Rogan of Hamilton (10:27.88), Central’s Peyton Steffen (10:33.21) and Ann Brennan of SUNY Geneseo (10:33.41) sit third, fourth and fifth, respectively.
• Faith Duncan, who won the 5,000 in her rookie campaign, will not return to the field for Wilmington (Ohio). Vassar’s Haley Schoenegge claimed bronze last season and comes into the championship seeded third with a clocking of 16:17.29.
• The reigning high jump champion, Sara Hoskins from Loras, has graduated. Hailey Carolan of Cornell College is the lone returner from the top five a year ago. Allie Wildsmith, who claimed a share of 13th last season for Coast Guard Academy, leads the country with her clearance of 1.78m. 
• Washington University-St. Louis’ Yasmin Ruff returns to the field looking to defend her pole vault title. The senior cleared 4.06m last year and enters the championship leading the country with her showing of 4.17m. Runner-up Gracie Holland sits third in the country after clearing 4.05m at last month’s Meet of Champions hosted by Augustana.

CHAMPIONSHIP INFO

• Location: Geneva, Ohio
• Host Site: SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track & Field Facility
• Schedule (Event times are approximate and subject to change)
  • Thursday, May 22
    • 12:30 p.m. – Pole Vault (final)
    • 7:35 p.m. – Steeplechase (opening round)

  • Friday, May 23
    • 11:30 a.m. – High Jump (final)
    • 4:55 p.m. – Steeplechase (final)

  • Saturday, May 24
    • 4:25 p.m. – 5,000 (final)

• Championship Central
• Live Results

The three-day NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship runs from May 22-24 at the SPIRE Institute’s Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Geneva, Ohio.