LA CROSSE, Wis. – 2:10.58 is the nationals bound mark for sophomore Mya Slavin. That time punched her ticket to the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships, hosted by UW-La Crosse, this Friday, May 22.

The St. Charles native is the first Cardinal since Anna Swanson, in 2022, to qualify for nationals. Slavin will be competing in the 800-meter race, a race that she placed first in at the conference championships, at nationals. 

"Nationals has been something my coach and I talked about all year, but for the longest time it felt more like a dream than something that could actually happen, especially in track," said Slavin. "To finally make it there is really exciting, and I think it's also rewarding because it shows that all the work I've put in this year has meant something.

Slavin, normally the star in the longer distance races, switched to the 800-meter mid-season and has been a star in both realms. 

She earned All-Conference honors this outdoor season in not only the 800-Meter but also the 1500-Meter with a time of 4:38.86. 

The biology major earned the national bound mark not at conference, but at the meet before conference, Meet of the UnSaintly, hosted by Hamline. 

Slavin just slipped in the top 22 mark as the number 21 qualifier for the event. It does not matter being one of the final qualifiers, the only thing that matters is that she is in, and now it is time to prove herself.

"I think the biggest thing for me is that I'm finally at a point in the running where I feel confident competing at the national level instead of intimidated by it, so honestly this couldn't have come at a better time."

"I knew after last week that I wasn't ready for my season to be done."

Slavin will compete on Friday, May 22 at 3:20 p.m. CT for the first round. If she is to make it as one of the top finishers on Friday, she will move onto championship Saturday and is set to compete at 2:50 p.m. CT for a title.

She should have a wonderful Cardinal crowd to cheer her on as she has competed at the UW-La Crosse venue before and fans can make the short 45-minute drive to watch her run!

"I'm also really proud to be able to represent Saint Mary's on a stage like nationals."