GREENSBORO, N.C. (May 29, 2021)  – Graduate student Gina Dello Russo of the Stevens Institute of Technology women's outdoor track and field team became the eighth national champion in program history by winning the 400-meter dash Saturday on the final day of competition at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.
 
Entering the championship race with the second-fastest preliminary time, Dello Russo took to a slick Irwin Belk Track on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University in lane six and completed the race in 54.17 seconds to set both a school and Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) record in the event. Per the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's unofficial rankings, the Morris Plains, New Jersey native's winning time is tied for the 20th-fastest time in Division III history. 

Following a clean start, Dello Russo ran a strong first 200 meters and moved into first place entering the final turn . She surged down the final straightaway and held off Loras College's Alyssa Pfadenhauer at the finish to capture her first national championship. The winning time broke Dello Russo's own school record of 54.56 seconds set at the 2018 NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships and topped the previous MAC mark of 55.30 seconds achieved earlier this season by Messiah University's Esther Seeland. She became the eighth individual NCAA Champion in women's outdoor track & field in the MAC's lengthy history. 

Dello Russo's historic lap around the track gave Stevens its first national champion since alumna Amy Regan won the 10,000 meter race at the 2017 Division III Outdoor National Championships, and the program's first in a sprint event. Each of the previous seven national titles were either in a distance race, the high jump, or the 400 hurdles. Dello Russo is the just the third female student-athlete in program history to win a national championship, joining Regan, alumna Gladys Njoku and Hall of Famer Laura Barito.

Following her championship victory, Dello Russo would return to the track later in the day for the 200-meter dash final, which was contested after a two-hour weather delay. Dello Russo finished sixth with a time of 24.53 seconds and earn her 12th career All-America honor.

Pacific Lutheran University's Bailey Forsyth won the 200 with a time of 23.74 seconds. As a team, Dello Russo's performances earned the Ducks 13 points to tie for 17th place in the team standings. Loras won the women's team championship with 58 points. 

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