ROCHESTER, N.Y. (March 15, 2025) – The Beacons' junior hurdler Aryianna Garceau (Dalton, Mass.) was crowned UMass Boston's 21^st National Champion at the 2025 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Rochester N.Y., posting a historic time of 8.35s in the women's 60m Hurdles. Her championship-winning performance is a NCAA DIII Championship meet record and places her among the top two hurdlers of all time in NCAA DIII, capping off an unforgettable season.

Garceau finished with an astonishing, record-breaking 8.35s finish to conclude the season undefeated against NCAA DIII competition. She now holds a new NCAA DIII Championship Meet Record, surpassing Birgen Nelson's (Gustavus Adolphus) 8.39s record set in 2023, and places her just 0.02s behind Nelson's all-time DIII lead of 8.33s. She also sits 0.01s behind the New England leader Fabiola Belibi of Harvard (NCAA DI), who leads all NCAA hurdlers in the region with an 8.34s lead.

Garceau finishes the 2024-25 indoor season with a cabinet of achievements. She is a three-time All-Little East Conference First-Team honoree, the 2024-25 LEC Runner of the Year, a seven-time school record breaker, the facility record holder at the Golisano Training Center, and in her first Indoor National Championship appearance, a program 21^st National Championship winner. Her achievements this indoor season are among the most captivating and successful in UMass Boston's recent track and field history.

In Head Coach Ozzie Brown's first season with the Beacons' track and field team, Brown developed Garceau, who was coming off an outdoor All-American performance, and gave her the tools necessary to achieve her goal of a national championship. Brown saw the vision and spoke it into existence while assisting Garceau in bringing the objective to fruition. In reaction to her crowning moment, Coach Brown stated, "I knew she was capable of running sub-8.4, but to actually see it in person is something special. When I first got the job and sat down with her and planned out the entire year, on paper, it seemed simple. Execute from week to week. There were a few hiccups along the way, but she's such a warrior and can overcome anything. This championship could not have gone to a more deserving and hardworking young woman, and as I told her, 'this is just the beginning'.".

"Ozzie and Ary's exceptional performance on the national stage is a proud moment for our university and a reflection of the leadership and excellence we strive for at UMass Boston. We are incredibly proud of their success and look forward to celebrating many more milestones with this remarkable team." Said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics and Recreation, Dr. Jacqueline Schuman.

Garceau basks in the moment briefly before a quick turnaround to represent the Beacons, the LEC, and NCAA DIII at the Black and Gold Invitational in Orlando, FL, at the University of Central Florida on Saturday (Mar. 21). Stay tuned for the meet information and coverage, as Garceau makes her outdoor debut following last year's All-American finish and this year's Indoor National Championship.

On behalf of the University of Massachusetts and UMass Boston Athletics, congratulations, Garceau, on a historic indoor season.