GENEVA, Ohio – Wellesley College track & field sophomore Grace Cowles (Yarmouth, Maine) earned All-American honors with a sixth place finish in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase final on Saturday at the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships at SPIRE Institute.

Cowles, who was the only sophomore in the final, finished in 10:59.42 to become the first Wellesley track student-athlete to earn All-American honors since Mary Kreidel '17 finished in eighth place in the 5000m in 2016.

Cowles advanced to Saturday's final with a fourth place finish in her heat during Thursday's preliminaries with the eighth fastest time overall in 10:56.29. Her time on Thursday was her second fastest of the season, following her 10:54.53 qualifying mark from the 2019 New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championships.

Cowles ends the outdoor track season as a NEWMAC All-Conference, USTFCCCA All-Region, and NCAA and USTFCCCA All-American performer in the steeplechase. She also earned All-Conference and All-Region accolades during the fall cross country season.

For more on the 2019 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships, log on to www.NCAA.com.