Magill claims All-America honors, breaks school record in 5K

Erin Magill with her third All-America trophy of 2021-22 (Photo by D3Photogrpahy.com)
Erin Magill with her third All-America trophy of 2021-22 (Photo by D3Photogrpahy.com)

GENEVA, Ohio – Recent Brandeis University graduate Erin Magill of Moretown, Vermont, closed out her track and field career in style today at the 2022 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Magill earned her third All-America honor of the 2021-22 season by finishing in eighth place in the 5,000-meter run and setting a school record in the process.

"We are all so proud of Erin's run today," said head coach Sinead Evans. "She raced with confidence at a pace significantly faster than her previous best. It's been an amazing senior year. Erin has inspired our team to train hard, enjoy the process and great results can happen."

Magill was seeded 15th headed into the championships with a previous career-fastest time of 16:52.26. She started on the far outside, as she did during the indoor championships. Magill settled into a pack behind the top three finishers at the start, with her position fluctuating between eleventh and eighth. With about 1,000 meters to go, she moved to the front of the secondary pack, running sixth and fifth. Her final lap of 1:16.90 was her fastest of the race, and though she was edged in the final 400 for a top-five finish, Magill finished well ahead of the ninth-place finisher by 10 seconds to end up with a time of 16:41.13.

Magill's time was 11 seconds faster than her previous career best. She erased Brandeis's previous outdoor record in the 5,000-meters set by Hall of Fame runner Jean (Olds) Cann '92, which stood for three decades. Magill surpassed the previous mark by six seconds. She also bested the previous indoor best, held by Mariko (Tansey Holbrook) Neveu '03, by four seconds, giving Magill the fastest 5K in school history in either venue.

This was Magill's third All-America honor of the 2021-22 school year. She placed 36th at the Division III Cross Country Championships in the fall and was sixth during the indoor season in the 5K. Magill is the track and cross country team's first athlete to earn three All-America honors in an academic year since Emily Bryson '19.