Case Western Reserve University first-year sprinter Gianna Phipps was named to the field of the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the organization announced on Friday night.
The 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held from Thursday, May 21 to Saturday, May 23 at the Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Phipps will compete in the 200 and 400-meter dash races. She qualified for the 200-meter dash with a school record time of 24.29 seconds at the All-Ohio Outdoor Championships on April 10. The time ranks 21st in Division III this season. In the 400-meter dash, Phipps qualified for the national championship with a time of 54.82 seconds at the 2026 University Athletic Association Outdoor Track and Field Championships on April 25. The time ranks ninth in Division III this season. The top 22 times in the country from each event qualified for the national championship.
She is just the third-ever sprinter on the CWRU women's track and field team to compete at the NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships in its history. Former Spartan Lisa Encarnacion competed in the 100- and 400-meter hurdles in 1991 and 1992, and Sheila Ballado ran in the 100-meter hurdles in 1990. Ballado won the national championship, while Encarnacion received All-America honors in 1991 by placing sixth in the 100-meter hurdles.
Phipps is aiming to become the program's first All-American at the outdoor championship since Adrienne Wachtman placed seventh and Lauren Roskuszka placed 15th in the javelin throw in 2024. 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 200-meter dash are scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 21, and the preliminary heats of the 400-meter dash are scheduled for 5:50 p.m. ET the following day. Runners with the eight fastest times will qualify for the final in each event on Saturday with the 400-meter final scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET and the 200-meter final scheduled for 4:40 p.m. ET. Fans can watch all the action live at ncaa.com/champs-pass.
