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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Slippery Rock University redshirt junior Courtney McQuaide captured the NCAA Division II national title in the pole vault and sophomore Maddy Marshall earned first team All-America honors Thursday on the opening day of the NCAA Division II Track and Field National Championships from the Irwin Belk Complex on the campus of Johnson C. Smith University.
 
McQuaide becomes the first female in SRU history to win a national championship in the pole vault and becomes the sixth overall national champion in women's outdoor track and field. She is the first female individual national champion from SRU since Whitney Hendershot won the high jump in 2011. McQuaide is the first SRU athlete regardless of gender to win a national title since David Reinhardt won the javelin in 2014, which was also the last time any track and field athlete from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference won an individual national title in outdoor track and field.
 
"I can't say enough about the way that Courtney competed this season and to cap it off with a national title like she did today is just an incredible accomplishment," said Bill Jordan, assistant track and field coach. "She had a serious injury less than two years ago and missed a whole year of competition. To bounce back and be a two-time All-American this year and win a national title is just so special. We are so proud of her and of Maddy for joining her on the podium as just a sophomore. We couldn't have asked for a better start to this national championship meet."
 
McQuaide entered the competition seeded fifth and advanced through to the final height with just one other competitor, defending national champion Emily Presley from Missouri Southern. McQuaide successfully cleared 3.95 meters on her first attempt, while Presley missed her first try before clearing on the second attempt. Both athletes missed all three attempts at 4.05 meters, crowning McQuaide as the national champion with a final height of 3.95 meters and one fewer miss than Presley.
 
It marks the second straight first team All-America finish for McQuaide, who finished fifth at the national meet during the indoor track and field season back in March. She was making her fifth career appearance at a National Championship.
 
Marshall also earned first team All-America honors for the first time in her career when she placed seventh after clearing 3.85 meters. She was making her fourth career appearance at a national meet and had never finished inside the top 12.
 
The top eight finishers in all individual events are named first team All-Americans by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, while finishers 9-12 are named to second team All-America honors.

The Rock's pole vault duo are the first SRU women to be named first team All-Americans in the sport of outdoor track and field since Sam Taylor (javelin) and Ashley West (high jump) earned the honor in 2015.
 
McQuaide and Marshall were the only SRU athletes competing Thursday and are two of six athletes that will compete over the three-day championship. Elaina Powell is the only other female athlete representing The Rock and will compete Saturday in the javelin. JJ Ollio, Jordan Pacheco and Ian Nieves will compete over the next two days for the men's team.
 
The 12 points scored by McQuaide (10 points) and Marshall (2 points) have the SRU women's team sitting in first place after the first day of competition. With just three total entries, The Rock are not expected to remain near the top of the leaderboard over the three days.
 
 
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