EUGENE, Ore. – Rutgers All-American pole vaulter Chloe Timberg secured a National Championship while setting the meet and school record on Thursday night at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The win for Timberg gave the Scarlet Knights their first national champion in track and field since 1983 and the first women's NCAA Championship in program history.

  "It was definitely an emotional moment," said Timberg. "The experience of being surrounded by such an uplifting group of girls, an electric crowd, and knowing that my family was cheering me on from home was what made it so special, but becoming a National Champion was the cherry on top. It's been a challenging season, so this moment really rekindled a lot of self-confidence in who I am as a competitor and what I'm capable of.
 
"We knew this was not going to be an easy feat, there are many talented vaulters in the NCAA. Coach and I took on the challenge of making big changes mid-season so to see that risk pay off was incredible. I am so proud to be a part of the Rutgers Athletics family because they have been a huge support at every turn. I can't wait to carry this momentum and wear that R at Hayward again in a few weeks for U.S. Olympic Trials."

Timberg matched her previous career best of 4.60m (15' 1") and was the only pole vaulter to reach that height. With the title already in hand, the two-time Big Ten Outdoor Champion went on to raise the bar several more notches, eventually clearing an NCAA meet record height of 4.71m (15' 5.5"). The height for Timberg also tied for the third-best in NCAA history.
 
"Chloe was unbeatable today," said Bobby Farrell, director of track and field & cross country. "She's been getting better every single meet. I can't tell you how proud we are of her and to see her accomplish this tonight has been such an amazing highlight of the year. She had the best day of her life when it mattered the most and that's what champions do."
 
Timberg has enjoyed a stellar outdoor season, including capturing silver at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships and setting the meet and Franklin Field record at the Penn Relays. She capped off the indoor season with a third-place finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Timberg was also named the Big Ten Field Athlete of the Year, Big Ten Field Athlete of the Championships and was recognized by the USTFCCCA as the Mid-Atlantic Field Athlete of the Year.
 
Timberg previously hit an Olympic standard height at the Penn Relays earning a return trip to Hayward Field for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Friday, June 28.
 
After qualifying a program-record 22 for the NCAA East First Round, four Scarlet Knights moved on to the NCAA Championships with A'nan Bridgett (long jump), Celine-Jada Brown (long jump) and Brian O'Sullivan (pole vault) joining Timberg in Eugene.
 
The win for Timberg is the first national championship for a Rutgers program since 2019 when wrestlers Anthony Ashnault and Nick Suriano captured gold in their respective weight classes.