(Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan) capped her season with an 11th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run on the final day of competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
A total of 21 women started the 5k race, but only 19 were able to finish. Of that smaller group, just eight—including Mayfield—attempted the grueling "distance double" by also running the 10,000-meter run on Thursday. Of the 10 runners to finish ahead of Mayfield on Saturday, six of them did not take part in the 10k two days earlier.
Mayfield clocked a time of 17:02.20. Ari Marks of Wellesley College won the 5,000-meter race with a personal-best time of 16:08.90.
While Mayfield did not get to stand on the podium after Saturday's race, she still had a tremendous year of competition as she became only the fifth Carleton woman to earn All-America recognition for cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field during the same academic year. Back in November, Mayfield finished 10th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She then placed fourth in the mile run at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March, and notched a fifth-place result in the 10,000-meter run on Day 1 of the national outdoor meet.
"Our focus this season was to prepare Clara for the tactical races she would encounter at the national championships," said Carleton head coach
. "The 10k on Thursday was a hard-fought battle with continual lead and pace changes. Clara demonstrated her mental toughness by responding well to the maneuvers of her competitors. That was a mentally and physically challenging race, which earned her All-American status.
"In the 5k, Clara got off the line in good position and ran well for the first 2,000 meters of the race. As the chase pack started moving, Clara wasn't quite able to respond (to all the runners with fresh legs). She put forth great effort at this championships, I am very proud of her accomplishments and the big strides she made in her running career this season."
(Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan) capped her season with an 11th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run on the final day of competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
Mayfield finished exactly where she was seeded—fifth out of 22 racers—after clocking a time of 35:33.26. This marks the 49th all-time All-America award for Carleton Women's Outdoor Track & Field, and Mayfield becomes the 10th women in Carleton track & field history to earn at least three All-America awards in her career (
see charts below).
Ari Marks from Wellesley College won Thursday's race, posting a time of 34:50.55, good for a 27-second margin of victory over D-III all-time record holder Kassie Parker of Loras College.
This is the fifth time that a Carleton woman earned All-America recognition in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field in the same academic year. Mayfield finished 10th at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in November, fourth in the mile run at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March. The other Carleton women to accomplish this unique three-peat feat were Anna Prineas in both 1987-88 and 1988-89, Simone Childs-Walker in 2009-10, Ruth Steinke in 2015-16.
Mayfield's other two All-America awards came in cross country in 2019 and the indoor 5,000-meter run in 2020.
She will have a chance to add to her total when she races the 5,000-meter run on Saturday, May 28.
Clara Mayfield's All-America Performances
Cross Country
2019 -- 30th place
2021 -- 10th place
Indoor Track & Field
2020 -- 5000m (race canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic)
2022 -- 4th place (mile)
Outdoor Track & Field
2022 -- 5th place (10,000m)
Carleton Women's Outdoor Track & Field All-Americans
1981 -- Sarah Tabbott (10,000m)
1981 -- Becky Braddy (3rd - 3,000m) – AIAW Track Nationals
1982 -- Becky Braddy (5th - 3,000m) – AIAW Track Nationals
1984 -- Melissa Hamilton, Lisa Hawkinson, Isemaye Opudor, Jennifer Shah (400m relay)
1985 -- Melissa Hamilton (55m)
1988 -- Anna Prineas (4th - 5,000m, 2nd - 10,000m)
1988 -- Lisa Kelly (HJ)
1989 -- Anna Prineas (1st - 5,000m, 1st - 10,000m)
1990 -- Jennifer Streefland (heptathlon)
1991 -- Jennifer Streefland (heptathlon)
1991 -- Aminah Ricks (4th - 100m)
1992 -- Aminah Ricks (5th - 100m, 6th - 200m)
1993 -- Lisa Scott (1,500m)
1994 -- Aminah Ricks (1st - 100m, 2nd - 200m)
1995 -- Michelle Eisenreich (discus)
1996 -- Kate Ainsworth (5th - 1,500m)
1997 -- Heidi Sickler (4th - 1,500m)
1997 -- Busola Akinwale (6th - LJ)
1999 -- Sandra Helquist (1st - 400m hurdles, 5th - 400m)
2000 -- Kelly Tan (8th - heptathlon)
2000 -- Carrie Stuart (8th - 400m hurdles)
2000 -- Sandra Helquist (4th - heptathlon)
2001 -- Carrie Stuart (4th - 400m hurdles)
2001 -- Laura Bloedorn (8th - 10,000m)
2003 -- Kim Davis (5th - heptathlon)
2003 -- Kristi Colbenson (5th - javelin)
2003 -- Laura Bloedorn (7th - 10,000m)
2004 -- Kristi Colbenson (7th - heptathlon)
2009 -- Kelly Lovett (7th - Javelin)
2009 -- Simone Childs-Walker (8th - 10,000m, 3rd - 5,000m)
2010 -- Kelly Lovett (4th - Javelin)
2010 -- Simone Childs-Walker (3rd - 10,000m, 4th - 5,000m)
2011 -- Kelly Lovett (1st - Javelin)
2011 -- Simone Childs-Walker (4th - 10,000m, 5th - 5,000m)
2012 -- Simone Childs-Walker (3rd - 10,000m)
2014 -- Colette Celichowski (8th - 1500m)
2014 -- Kao Sutton (1st - Discus)
2014 -- Amelia Campbell (1st - Heptathlon)
2015 -- Amelia Campbell (4th - Heptathlon)
2016 -- Ruth Steinke (5th - 5000m)
2022 -- Clara Mayfield (5th - 10,000m)
Carleton Women with Most Track & Field All-America Awards (combined indoor and outdoor)
11 -- Simone Childs-Walker
7 -- Aminah Ricks
6 -- Anna Prineas
4 -- Ruth Steinke
3 -- Melissa Hamilton
3 -- Busola Akinwale
3 -- Sanda Helquist
3 -- Kelly Lovett
3 -- Amelia Campbell
3 -- Clara Mayfield
Carleton Women to be All-Americans in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field in the same academic year
1987-88 Anna Prineas
1989-89 Anna Prineas
2009-10 Simone Childs-Walker
2015-16 Ruth Steinke
2021-22 Clara Mayfield
