Sainz de Rozas Shatters Meet Record at Wartburg; Claims First in 5000-Meter

WAVERLY, Iowa – Junior Ainara Sainz de Rozas (Madrid, Spain) traveled to Wartburg for the NCAA Final Qualifier meet, aiming to secure a spot in the NCAA Division III Indoor Championships.

Competing in the 5000-meter run, Sainz de Rozas had already set a personal best of 17:17.96, finishing second at the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Indoor Championships the week prior. With a clear determination to improve, the Spain native surpassed her own record at Wartburg, claiming first place with a time of 16:58.81.

Sainz de Rozas maintained a strong and consistent pace throughout the race, closing with her fastest lap in the final 400 meters, completing it in 38.226 seconds to secure the victory. Simpson's Teghan Booth finished second, crossing the line 42.30 seconds later in 17:41.11.

Not only did she win, but Sainz de Rozas also shattered the previous meet record of 17:21.24 with her time. At the moment of her finish, her mark ranked 18th in Division III.

Sainz de Rozas will now await the final list of participants and selections for the 2024 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, which will be announced on Sunday, March 9th.