In a League All Her Own: Rudolph Wins National Championship

In a league all her own

EMMA RUDOLPH WINS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Westminster women’s outdoor track and field junior Emma Rudolph was crowned the national champion in the pole vault at the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Rudolph cleared a personal-best height of 12’11½” (3.95 meters) on her first attempt at that height. All of Rudolph’s clears occurred on the first try. “I was just really excited, really pumped,” Rudolph said. “I was really trying to make every single jump on the first attempt. After I did that, I felt really good and it pumped me up more. It feels really good. I’ve gotten eighth the past two NCAA Championships, so I’ve really wanted this championship for a long time. I finally got it and it makes me really happy and I’m really excited.” The All-America honor is Rudolph’s second for Outdoor Nationals; she is also a two-time Indoor All-American.

The Titans now have 17 All-America citations in women’s pole vault school history. Rudolph is just the second Track and Field National Champion in school history, joining women’s pole vaulter Marissa Kalsey (2017).

“I am absolutely ecstatic about the performance of Emma Rudolph,” said head coach Tim McNeil ‘96. “She transformed into a superhero and fended off all challenges. Blessed to have pole vault coach Bradi Rhoades on our staff.” Westminster men’s track and field senior Ryan Beard won the NCAA Division III Men’s Track and Field Elite 90 award, becoming the first Titan ever in any sport to receive this prestigious honor.

The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.

The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

Beard is also only the second Presidents’ Athletic Conference student-athlete to receive this award. Beard, a 4.0 GPA accounting major, is a member of the 4x100meter relay team that earned All-American at the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The quartet was the first NCAA All-American relay team in school history and first men’s relay to ever advance to Nationals.