NEW ORLEANS – The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced on Wednesday afternoon that graduate student, Katherine Pitman, of the Ithaca College women's track & field team has been selected as the NCAA Division III Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Pitman becomes the first-ever Ithaca student-athlete to receive this award.

The Swampscott, Mass. native won her second consecutive pole vault national championship last weekend in Birmingham, Ala. with an NCAA Division III meet and national record mark of 4.28 meters (14 feet, 0.5 inches). The week prior, Pitman cleared 4.27 meters at the AARTFC Championships in Ithaca to become the first woman in DIII history to clear 14 feet in the pole vault.

For more information about her historic performance last weekend, follow this link.

Pitman is just the fourth athlete all-time to win more than one pole vault title during the indoor season – Laura Rosenberger of Eastern Mennonite (2000 and 2001), Megan Rossi of North Central (2005 and 2007) and Cirman Virdi of MIT (2014-16).

Her national title performance made her the 40th all-time individual national champion at Ithaca College and the fifth student-athlete to win three during their career on South Hill – Amy Appler (Gymnastics), Lindsey Mazer (Gymnastics), Brandy Smith (Track & Field) and Taryn Cordani (Track & Field).