After outstanding efforts at the 2023 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, the University of Rochester track and field program has earned seven total All-America awards from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) as announced on Monday.
 
Seniors Susan Bansbach, Madeline O'Connell and Kristin Hardy along with junior Kate Isaac and sophomore Megan Bell, represented the women's team with the awards. Cole Goodman was named an All-American from the men's squad, with Rochester's Bansbach taking home a pair of awards to round out the total.
 
Bansbach, O'Connell, Isaac and Bell had a meet to remember running on the 4x400 meter relay over the weekend. The quartet took home the Division III national title, the ninth in program history, running a new UR school record, Division III championship record and overall Division III record time of 3:44.84.
 
The team entered the meet seeded fourth and was third quickest in the preliminary heats on Friday (3:49.23), where Hardy subbed in for O'Connell, before driving past their previous best time in the national championship winning effort. UR's victory is the first by a relay at the NCAA Championships in school history.
 
In addition to the relay honor, Bansbach took home individual All-American accolades for her fourth place performance in the 400 meters. The senior finished with a new school record time of 55.68 seconds, capturing first in heat during the finals. She ended up being nipped by a trio of runners in the second heat of the final, but secured her best-ever individual finish at NCAA Division III competition.
 
The two All-America awards boost Bansbach's total to nine over her illustrious career. Hardy earns her fifth award and O'Connell now has four to her name after earning three awards in the 2021-22 season. Isaac and Bell each earn their first accolades from the USTFCCCA. Overall, Rochester's women have now accumulated 44 all-time All-America awards as a program.
 
Goodman nearly missed being a national champion as well, ending as runner-up in the triple jump during the NCAA Championships. The sophomore held the early lead in the triple jump competition and after falling to second place, re-took the top spot with a 15.39 meter jump on his sixth and final attempt of the competition.
 
His other top opponent bested him on the final jump of the meet, but Goodman's runner-up finish ties for the best ever by a Yellowjacket men's track and field athlete at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
The All-American honor is Goodman's first, coming in his second attempt at nationals. He becomes the first indoor, and third overall, triple jump All-American in Rochester men's track and field team history. As a program, UR now has 16 total indoor track and field All-America awards.