First-year sprinter Gianna Phipps of the Case Western Reserve University women's track and field team was selected to the field of competitors for the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships, the organization announced on Sunday night.

The 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships will be held on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14 at the Birmingham Crossplex in Birmingham, Alabama.

Phipps will compete in the 400-meter dash, qualifying for the national meet with a school record time of 56.40 seconds recorded at the 2026 University Athletic Association Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 1. After converting for track size, Phipps's time ranked ninth in Division III. The top 20 times from each event qualified for the national championship.

Phipps is just the second-ever sprinter on the CWRU women's track and field team to compete at the NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships since the national championships began in 1985. Former Spartan Lisa Encarnacion qualified for the 55-meter hurdles in 1992 and placed fourth in the race to earn All-America honors.

Phipps is aiming to become the program's first All-American at the indoor championship since Cassandra Laios placed fourth in the weight throw in 2019. All-America First Team honors are given to the top eight finishers in an event with Second Team All-America honors, first introduced in 2024, earned by student-athletes who place between ninth and 16th.

The preliminary heats of the 400-meter dash are scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET on Friday, March 13. Runners with the eight fastest times will qualify for the final of the race, which is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 14. Fans can watch all the action live at https://ncaa.com/champs-pass.