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Adverse: !TEST! !TEST! 2025-04-08 08:50:20

Athletics

Two Tar Heel runners claim national titles

Makayla Paige won the women’s 800 meters and Ethan Strand the men’s 3,000 at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

By GoHeels.com, Sunday, March 16th, 2025
Ethan Strand and Makayla Paige of UNC track and field posing for a photo together with their national championship trophies.
Ethan Strand and Makayla Paige. (GoHeels)

A pair of Carolina runners became national champions at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Saturday as Makayla Paige won the women’s 800 meters and Ethan Strand won the men’s 3,000 within three hours of each other.

Paige is the first NCAA Champion for the women’s track and field team since Nicole Greene in the high jump in 2018. Strand is the first men’s indoor NCAA Champion for Carolina since Adam Shunk in the high jump in 2003.

For the second time in program history, the men’s team posted consecutive top-10 finishes, tying Texas Tech for eighth with 22 points. The women took 23rd with 10 points.

Paige (2:00.39) jumped out to the front of the pack from the shots of the starting gun and held on to win while also setting the facility record. Despite getting clipped in the middle of the race, the senior was able to power through and never gave up the lead during the race.

Strand (7:52.03) battled one of the fiercest fields in recent history in the 3,000, with nine of the 10 fastest collegiate times ever. The leader of the race changed six times, with Strand, a senior, hitting a major kick to cut in front of Gary Martin of Virginia to take the lead. He had the fastest final split (0:25.39). Parker Wolfe (7:53.98) also earned First-Team All-America honors as he took sixth. Colton Sands (8:00.29) earned Second-Team All-America honors.

Tommy Kitchell (19.19 m) earned First-Team All-America honors after finishing eighth in the men’s shot put. Kitchell landed his best throw on his final throw of the preliminary round, keeping his day alive and ultimately ending it with honors.

Read more about the meet at GoHeels.com.

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