Willis Earns Region Honor – Stanford University Athletics

STANFORD FRESHMAN Roisin Willis, winner of two NCAA titles and three All-America honors, was named West Region Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association on Thursday.

Willis, 18, from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, won the 800 meters at the NCAA Indoor Championships on Saturday, a day after running an 800 leg on Stanford’s winning distance medley relay team. Willis closed the weekend by running anchor in the 4×400 relay, with the team finishing 12th. Willis earned two first-team All-America honors and one on the second team.

Willis ran 1:59.93, just ahead of her freshman teammate Juliette Whittaker, in 2:00.03. They were the second- and fourth-fastest times in collegiate indoor history. On the all-time collegiate indoor performers’ list, reigning Olympic champion Athing Mu of Texas A&M is first at 1:58.40 from 2021, Willis is second and Whittaker is third. Willis and Whittaker also rank fifth and sixth in the world this year. 

In Pac-12 history, which includes indoor and outdoor times, Willis ranks No. 5. It was a Stanford absolute record as well. 

Besides breaking the indoor 800 record twice, Willis also was part of school-record setting distance medley and 4×400 relays. 

With Willis on the third leg, Stanford won the DMR for the first at the NCAA meet since 2000. Given the baton with a substantial lead already after legs by Melissa Tanaka (1,200) and Maya Valmon (400), Willis pushed the lead even farther, running a split of 2:02.75, the fastest in the field. Whittaker closed it out with a 1,600.