ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Carleton College distance runner Clara Mayfield (Sr./Manhattan, Kan./Manhattan) finished third in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning the eighth All-America award of her distinguished career. Mayfield was joined in the race by teammate Hannah Preisser (Fy./Chapel Hill, N.C./Carrboro), who finished 17th overall.

This is the 55th All-America award earned by Carleton women's track & field at the outdoor national meet.
 
Mayfield has now earned All-America recognition eight times in her career, tied for the fourth-most by a Carleton woman (see charts below). That total is impressive given that Mayfield lost the opportunity to compete at three NCAA Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 outdoor, 2020 cross country, 2021 indoor).
 
This is the sixth time in school history that a Carleton woman earned All-America status in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field during the same academic year. Mayfield joins Anna Prineas as the only individuals to accomplish that feat twice (see chart below).
 
Mayfield's time of 33:47.45 not only smashed her own school record by more than 20 seconds, but it also moved her into sixth place on the Division III all-time top-10 list (see chart below). She was also 1 of 3 racers to better the previous NCAA Division III Championships record of 33:50.32 set back in 1983. Kassie Parker of Loras College won this year's race with a time of 33:02.53, while Fiona Smith from Saint Benedict was the runner up at 33:05.17.

"Clara executed a tremendous race structure," said Carleton head coach Donna Ricks. "She found a solid rhythm her first 5K coming through in 16:58 and bringing down the second half. running 16:49 to a personal best. These last four years have been an amazing journey watching Clara grow as an athlete and compete on the national stage."
 
Meanwhile, Preisser bettered her personal-best time as she crossed the line at 35:52.02.

"Hannah did a great job," Ricks said. "This was just the second 10K of her career. I am very pleased with how she raced and the experience that she has gained this year participating in all three national championships as a first-year."
 
Preisser previously earned All-America recognition with a 15th-place result at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in the fall and added a 13th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the national indoor track & field meet in March.
 
Preisser was running in 21st place at the midpoint of tonight's race but slowly worked her way up through the 22-runner field. She turned in the eighth-fastest final lap to eclipse her previous PR by less than a second.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Mary Blanchard (Jr./Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell) will race in the preliminary round of the 800-meter run on Friday, May 26. The starting gun is scheduled to go off at 6:45 p.m. ET/5:45 p.m. Eight runners will advance to Saturday's event finals, including the top two from each of the three prelim heats and the next two fastest times.
 
Mayfield will close her Carleton career on Saturday, May 27, with the 5,000-meter run at 4:25 p.m. ET/3:25 p.m. CT. She is 1 of 7 women slated to compete in both the 10K and 5K races.
 
NCAA Division III Women's Top 10 List for the 10,000-meter run
32:36.22  --  Kassie Parker (Loras)  --  2023 Stanford Invitational (8)
33:05.17  --  Fiona Smith (St. Benedict)  --  2023 NCAA Championships (2)
33:21.80  --  Mary Proulx (Keene State)  --  2003 Penn Relays (1)
33:25.80  --  Tori Neubauer (UW-La Crosse)  --  1984 NCAA Div. I Champs (8)
33:44.06  --  Taryn Cordani (Ithaca)  --  2018 Penn Relays
33:47.45  --  Clara Mayfield (Carleton)  --   2023 NCAA Championships (3)
33:49.04  --  Lenore Moreno (La Verne)  --  2014 Stanford Invitational
33:50.32  --  Debra Thometz (St. Thomas)  --  1983 NCAA Championships (1)
33:51.3   --  Nicole Fogarty (Brandeis)  --  1988
33:57.48  --  Toni Wiszowaty (Plattsburgh State)  --  2008 Penn Relays (1)
 
Carleton women to earn 5+ All-America Awards
17        Marie Marsman '04  --  swimming & diving (10 individual, 7 relay)
12        Simone Childs-Walker '12  --  cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field (12 individual)
9          Aminah Ricks '94  --  indoor/outdoor track and field (9 individual)
8          Anna Prineas '89  --  cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field (8 individual)
8          Clara Mayfield '23  --  cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field (8 individual)
6          Kim Gillen '85  --  swimming & diving (6 individual)
6          Jenny Grover '06  --  swimming & diving (6 relay)
6          Emily Mondloh '05  --  swimming & diving (6 relay)
5          Andrea Barbera '05  --  swimming & diving (5 relay)
5          Ruth Steinke '16  --  cross country, indoor/outdoor track and field (5 individual)
 
Mayfield's NCAA Championship Appearances
Cross Country
          2019  --  30th of 280 runners (All-America)
          2021  --  10th of 293 runners (All-America)
          2022  --  third of 293 runners (All-America)
Indoor Track & Field
          2020  --  entered in 5,000-meter run (All-America, meet canceled due to pandemic)
          2022  --  fourth in mile (All-America), 14th in 3000m
          2023  --  third in mile (All-America), 10th in 3000m
Outdoor Track & Field
          2021  --  14th in 5,000m, DNF in 10,000m
          2022  --  fifth in 10,000m (All-America), 11th place in 5000m
          2023  --  third in 10,000m (All-America)
 
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
2022-23     Clara Mayfield