JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Freshman distance runner Ruth White from Orono, Maine, representing the University of New Hampshire women’s track and field team, punched her ticket to the NCAA Championships by finishing sixth in the 10,000-meter run. The event took place Thursday night at the NCAA East First Round held at Hodges Stadium, University of North Florida.
White finished sixth out of 48 competitors, securing a top-12 position that qualified her for the NCAA final. The championship race is scheduled for June 12 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
She completed the race in 32:50.17, breaking her own school record of 32:57.83. That previous record was set during her gold-medal-winning performance at the America East Championships.
The race winner, Grace Hartman of NC State, set a facility record with a time of 32:32.80.
White’s qualification marks a significant achievement for the UNH women’s team, as the last athlete from the program to compete in the NCAA Championships was Elle Purrier St. Pierre in 2018.
This season, White has enjoyed a remarkable rookie year. She earned her spot at the NCAA East First Round thanks to her school and meet record time of 32:57.83 at the America East Championships, where she was also named Most Outstanding Rookie. Earlier, she had set the school record with a time of 33:27.57 at the Black & Gold Invitational. White also won the 5,000-meter run at the New England Championships with a school record time of 16:22.78.
