Chesterton High School grad and University of Southern Indiana junior Mary Ballinger won the first national championship of her career last Saturday when she took top honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

Ballinger had little trouble against the field as she finished the race in a school-record time of 10:22.98. Her time was less than three seconds off the national record and more than 15 seconds better than the second place finisher.

“She had her eye on the Division II record all spring,” USI Head Coach Mike Hillyard said in a press release on the school’s website. “We talked about that being the focus and how it would affect the pace of the competition if she went after the mark.”

Ballinger set a fast early pace with just Western State College’s Lisa Thomas staying with her through the first 1,200 meters.

“I went out hard from the gun,” Ballinger said. “I ran my own race and that’s what my goal was.”

The national championship is the seventh in USI history and the third by a female student athlete.

“I had never won anything like this before, not even a state championship,” Ballinger said. “The last lap was probably the toughest, but it was thrilling coming toward the finish line and it was awesome to know that I was going to win my first big race.”

Posted 6/1/2009