GENEVA, Ohio – Ainara Sainz de Rozas claimed her second All-American honor of the weekend! A junior distance runner from Madrid, Spain, Ainara Sainz de Rozas claimed NCAA Division III All-America honors on Saturday afternoon in the 5000-meter run.
"It's been an incredible journey to get to this point, full of challenges, growth, and unforgettable moments," said Ainara Sainz de Rozas. "This experience has exceeded everything I ever dreamed of. Now, I'm doing my best to soak it all in and not take a single moment for granted. I feel truly blessed to be finishing the season on the biggest stage, and I'm endlessly grateful to everyone who's supported me along the way and has been part of this ride. This moment is as much theirs as it is mine."
On Saturday, she finished in fourth place at 16:32.74 to claim First Team All-American honors.
She shattered her school record that she established at the Drake Relays in April at 16:41.05.
Heading into the day, her time in the 5000-meter run, 16:41.05, ranked 18th in NCAA Division III.
Sainz de Rozas is claiming her second All-American honor of the weekend and her third overall, in her third appearance at an NCAA Division III Championship. In November, she also qualified for the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. She claimed All-American honors in the 5000-meter run in seventh place at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Pittsford, New York. She finished eighth in the 10000-meter run on Thursday night.
She is now the second Falcon to claim two All-American honors at one outdoor championship. In 2006, Amanda Kuca was an All-American in the 5000-meter run and the national champion in the 3000-meter steeplechase.
She is the fourth Falcon to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, joining the likes of Nicole Larson, Maya Hielscher, and Amanda Kuca.
She also becomes the third All-American in program history, with Amanda Kuca claiming the honor in the 5000-meter run in 2005 and 2006 and the 3000-meter steeplechase in 2004 and 2006, claiming the national title in 2006, and Nicole Larson in the pole vault in 2016.
Penelope Greene of SUNY Geneseo claimed her second national title of the meet with a personal-best time of 16:01.55.
Joining Sainz de Rozas and Greene on the podium were Grace McDonough of Connecticut College, Riley Buese of Lewis & Clark, Haley Schoenegge of Vassar, Anna Watson of Chicago, Janie Cooper of NYU, and Audrey Maclean of Middlebury. Deyanneira Colon Maladonado also represented the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference for Aurora but just missed the podium in ninth place.
After 1000 meters, she was in 17th place, and over the next three laps, she jumped seven places. She soared another four spots at the 3000-meter mark to move into sixth place. The Spaniard was under 1:20 in her final three laps, including a time of 1:17.91.
To qualify as an All-American, an athlete must finish in the top eight of their event at the national championships.
The Falcons are in 41st place as a team with six points.
