Story courtesy of Stevens Athletics
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (May 25, 2024) – Graduate student Laura Mathews of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's outdoor track and field team became the eighth Duck in school history to earn an individual national championship after winning the 100-meter hurdles Saturday on the final day of the 2024 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
Entering the championship race as the top seed after matching her school record time of 13.61 seconds in Friday's preliminary race (with a non-legal tailwind), Mathews began her national championship quest in lane four. Following a weather delay of more than three hours that saw competition halted just prior to the scheduled start time of the event, Mathews took control of the race shortly after the first hurdle and crossed the finish line in 13.67 seconds, officially setting a new personal best (Saturday's final came with a legal +1.4 m/s tailwind). Buffalo State's Natalia Sawyer finished second in 13.72 seconds, while Bethel's Kelsie Sealock finished third in 13.84 seconds, as the top three seeds in the race finished in the same order. Mathews' winning time is the fourth-fastest in Division III history.
"SHE DID IT!" head coach John Kolibab said "It was so fitting that in the last race of her career, Laura was met by lightning, rain, and a whole heptathlon under her belt, and just like for her entire career, Laura persevered, looked pressure in the face, and pulled out a victory."
"Laura has deserved every ounce of success she's had and we are so excited to hang her banner in Canavan Arena forever," the second-year head coach continued. "Laura is many things, and now, a National Champion is among them."
Mathews' victory marked the 11th national championship in program history (including the cross country component of the program) and is the first since 2021, when alumna Gina Dello Russo won the outdoor 400-meter dash. Mathews is just the second hurdler from Stevens to win a national championship; alumna Laura Barito won the outdoor 400-meter hurdles in 2011 to become the only student-athlete in school history to win national titles in two different sports (track and swimming). Of the Ducks' 16 individual national crowns, five have come during the outdoor track season.
Mathews is just the second student-athlete representing the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) to win a national crown in the 100-meter hurdles, joining Messiah's Kristen Bates who won the 2010 title. She is also the third MAC athlete to win a national championship in any hurdle event, joining Bates and Susquehanna's Emily Lepley, who topped the field in the 400-meter hurdles in 2005. The victory also cemented the Denville, New Jersey native's 10th All-America honor making Mathews the third-most decorated student-athlete (in terms of All-America honors) in school history.
The race put a bow on Mathews' remarkable career on the track. In addition to the aforementioned 10 All-America honors and tonight's national championship, she has collected three regional titles, 18 conference crowns and 29 all-conference selections. Mathews is a four-time United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Regional Athlete of the Year and she totaled four Athlete of the Year Awards and a pair of Rookie of the Year accolades from the MAC. A multi-time school and conference record holder in both indoor and outdoor competition, and both on the track and in the jumps and multi events, simply put, Mathews finishes her time on Castle Point as one of the most accomplished and decorated student-athletes in department history.
"Laura has been a tremendous member of our squad for the last five years," Kolibab commented. "From the moment I watched her do her first block start in October of 2019 until her very last race today, she has been nothing short of incredible. We would like to thank her for her dedication, her leadership, her tenacity, and for everything she was to our program. Laura is Stevens Track and Field personified, and while it is so difficult to say goodbye, what she has done for our team will have an amazingly positive impact long after she is gone. Thank you, Laura!"
Across her two events, Mathews totaled 14 points, resulting in Stevens tying with Emory University for 17th out of the 126 schools with at least one entrant in the championship field. Washington University-St. Louis won the women's championship with 71 points. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse finished with 76 points to win the women's championship.
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