ARKADELPHIA – Ouachita women's track & field athlete Katelynn Nachtigal has made the cut and been invited to the 2025 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, becoming the program's first ever NCAA National Qualifier.
 
Nachtigal qualified for the National Championships in the 3000m Steeplechase with a time of 10:34.66, which she ran in April at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. The qualifying time ranks first in the Great American Conference, second in the Central Region, and 21^st nationally in DII. Nachtigal is the first athlete from Ouachita to qualify for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in school history.
 
The junior from Rogers, Arkansas recently defended her title as the conference champion in the 3000m Steeplechase at the GAC Championships in Shawnee, Oklahoma on May 1. Nachtigal won the event by almost four seconds with a time of 10:49.99 to go back-to-back as GAC Champion help the Tigers take third overall as a team.
 
The 2025 NCAA Division II National Championships are set to take place on May 22-24 at the CSU Pueblo Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colorado. The 3000m Steeplechase has prelims scheduled for Thursday, May 22 at 7:40 p.m. CST and finals set for Friday, May 23 at 8:15 p.m. CST.