Rochester, NY — The Williams College Women's Track and Field team opened the 2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships with a strong showing on Friday, March 14th, at Nazareth University's Golisano Training Center. Fourteen Ephs qualified for the national meet, competing against elite Division III athletes from across the country, including teams from Wisconsin-La Crosse, MIT, Chicago, and Washington University. The day featured two school-record-breaking performances and multiple qualifications for Saturday's finals from the Ephs.
Pole vaulters kicked off the day's competition. Williams school-record holder Ellie Fitzgerald '26 delivered a standout performance, breaking her own record of 3.87m by clearing 3.92m to finish 6th and earn All-American honors. Captain Jae Yu '25 also competed in the pole vault, nearing her personal best with a mark of 3.77m to place 17th.
Rachel Arthur '25 — the Williams 60m school record-holder — competed in the 60m dash prelims on Friday, finishing in 7.56 seconds for 9th place overall. Arthur returned to the track for the 200m prelims and continued her impressive day. Arthur ran a time of 24.83 seconds to take 2nd in her heat and 7th overall, securing a place in Saturday's final.
Freshman Kate Tuttle '28 had a dominant performance in the women's mile prelims, following up her victory at the Tufts Final Qualifier Meet last weekend with a smooth race. She finished in 4:54.02, taking 2nd in her heat and 3rd overall to secure a spot in Saturday's final.
Bella King-Harvey '27, who holds the Williams 400m school record, competed in the prelims of the 400m on Friday. King-Harvey placed 2nd in her heat with a time of 56.67 seconds for 10th overall in the prelims.
Williams 600m school-record-holder Annika Paluska '28 broke the Williams 800m school record in Friday's prelims, crossing the line in an outstanding time of 2:10.89. Paluska placed 4th in her heat and 6th overall, successfully clinching a spot for Saturday's final.
Livi Mazerolle '26 competed in the women's pentathlon on Friday, building on her strong performance at the DIII New England Championships two weeks ago. She opened with the 60m hurdles, finishing in 9.59 seconds to place 18th. In the high jump, she cleared 1.57m for 8th place, followed by another 8th-place finish in the shot put with a mark of 10.83m. Mazerolle then placed 16th in the long jump with a mark of 5.04m. Though unable to complete the 800m due to injury, she delivered a strong overall performance across multiple events.
Tamar Byl-Brann '27 represented Williams in the 5000m final, finishing in 17:21.43 for 16th place in a very competitive race.
The 4x400m and distance medley relays closed out the track competition on Friday. The Ephs' 4x400m relay team of Paluska, King-Harvey, Cate Donaldson '27, and Claire Jensen '27 delivered a strong performance in the prelims, running 3:48.79—the third-fastest time in Williams history. Their 4th place finish overall secured them a spot in Saturday's final. Finally, in the women's distance medley relay, the team of Jordan Liss-Riordan '27 (1200m), Ella Sukup '26 (400m), Lily Yampolsky '28 (800m), and Nora Johnson '25 (mile) competed for the Ephs. The team finished 10th overall with a time of 11:59.67.
Overall, Friday marked an impressive start for Williams at the NCAA Championships. With new school records in the pole vault and 800m, along with multiple qualifications for finals, the Ephs are well-positioned for an exciting conclusion to the championship on Saturday.
