History in the Making!

Pitt State Captures First-Ever Indoor National Championship

INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburg State University women's indoor track & field enjoyed a day for the history books Saturday (Mar. 15) as the Gorillas captured the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship at Fall Creek Pavilion at the Indiana Fairgrounds.

The Gorillas compiled 63 points in the three-day meet to claim the program's third all-time national championship, the first indoor national crown. Minnesota State University secured the national runner-up finish with 58 points and Grand Valley State University placed third with 40 points.

Pitt State hoisted its first-ever indoor crown after finishing as the national runner-up in 2024, the program's previous benchmark season. The Gorillas finished fourth overall in both 2016 and 2017.

Kayvon Nubine started Pitt State's point scoring efforts early on Championship Saturday with a fifth place All-America showing in the 60-meter hurdles (8.36).

Auna Childress followed that up with her second straight national runner-up performance in the triple jump. She posted a mark of 41 feet, 11.5 inches Saturday.

Kate Strader added a sixth place All-America finish in the mile run (4:43.91) and Diandrenique Gaines chipped in with a sixth place All-America showing in the 200 meters (23.94).

Pitt State's high jumping trio of Erica Schamel, Haleigh Hadley and Rachel Wilson then sent the Gorillas into first place in the team standings with a collection of 14 points in their discipline. All three athletes recorded personal bests by clearing 5 feet, 10 inches.

Paige Mullen added a ninth place finish in the 3,000 meters (9:30.61) and the 4x400m relay of Maddie O'Neill, Jamiya Morgan, Kinleigh Hall and Olivia Lowrey placed 10th overall in 3:43.67.

The Gorillas posted their ninth straight top 10 national finish Saturday. Since 2016, the Gorillas have finished fourth (2016), fourth (2017), fifth (2018), sixth (2019), tied for 10th (2021), tied for fifth (2022), tied for eighth (2023), second (2024) and first (2025) nationally. The 2020 national indoor meet was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Pitt State men also captured the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship. Pitt State becomes the first school to sweep both men's and women's indoor track & field titles in the same season since St. Augustine's College did so in 2007.

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Players Mentioned

Auna Childress: Graduate Student

Kate Strader: Redshirt Senior

Diandrenique Gaines: Senior

Haleigh Hadley: Senior

Kinleigh Hall: Junior

Olivia Lowrey: Junior

Jamiya Morgan: Senior

Paige Mullen: Sophomore

Maddie O'Neill: Redshirt Junior

Erica Schamel: Graduate Student

Rachel Wilson: Junior

Kayvon Nubine: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Auna Childress
: Graduate Student

Kate Strader
: Redshirt Senior

Diandrenique Gaines
: Senior

Haleigh Hadley
: Senior

Kinleigh Hall
: Junior

Olivia Lowrey
: Junior

Jamiya Morgan
: Senior

Paige Mullen
: Sophomore

Maddie O'Neill
: Redshirt Junior

Erica Schamel
: Graduate Student

Rachel Wilson
: Junior

Kayvon Nubine
: Freshman