Lincoln-Sudbury graduate O'Connell now a three-time national track champion

She is a repeat national champion sprinter. But rising over the bar is her first love. 

Madeline O’Connell broke the University of Rochester’s pole vault record three times this winter. But on March 8, the Lincoln-Sudbury graduate was the only competitor to clear 12 feet, 10.25 inches, and claimed the title at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships in Virginia Beach. 

O’Connell was part of the winning 4x400-meter relay team the next day as the Yellowjackets posted a record 32 points and placed fourth. The highlight of the weekend, however, was the vaulting title. 

“I wanted the pole vault title more than anything else,” O’Connell, a fifth-year senior, told the Daily News, “and so I was extremely happy to walk away from the meet with that trophy. I came to Rochester as a pole vaulter and now I am living up to those dreams.” 

O’Connell climbed as high as fifth in the state when she was at L-S. She leaves the Rochester indoor program with a record 13-5.25 mark set at the Liberty League Championships on Feb. 23. 

Her final indoor race proved to be another memorable performance. Running leadoff in the 4x4, she ran a 55.80-second split to put Rochester in the lead for good. Ashley Heffernan, Nora Chen and Megan Bell capped off the national title-winning relay in 3:45.21. 

O’Connell was part of the winning 4x4 at NCAAs last year, the 3:44.84 time still standing as the Division III record. This year, after Rochester won its heat, the Yellowjackets had to wait for the results of the second and final heat before they could celebrate. 

"I could barely watch as the times came in, but when we realized we had won we squeezed each other in for a hug and cheered with excitement and relief,” O’Connell said. “There were many uncertainties as we headed into this meet. Half of our team was battling injuries and the other half was brand new to the 4x4 and had never competed at this level. There was a moment in the prelims when I wasn’t even sure we would make it to finals, so the fact that we came together and achieved this was extra special given all that we had to overcome.” 

A week after the national meet, O’Connell was named Field Performer of the Year by the Liberty League.  

“It was an honor I didn’t really expect,” she said. “I do an odd combination of events, so my performances are spread between sprints and pole vault. Typically, the field performers of the meet or the year go to someone who does two field events and dominates in both, so I was surprised that I was chosen for this honor.” 

But she does well on the track, too. 

O'Connell, a former Daily News All-Star, set a school indoor school record in the open 400 at nationals, running a 55.42 time to finish fourth, good enough for All-America honors. Earlier in the season, she ran the 60 meters in facility-best 25.26 seconds at Golisano Training Center at Nazareth University in Pittsford, New York. 

She was also named Liberty League Co-Track and was Field Performer of the Meet at the Liberty League Championships after finishing first in the 400 and pole vault, second in the 200 and third in the 60. 

O'Connell ponders medical, pole vault career after college

The neuroscience major will compete in outdoor track this spring before remaining in Rochester to work as an EMT and applying to medical school. Potential careers include neurosurgery or emergency medicine. 

But O’Connell will also continue pole vaulting when school ends with a local club “and see where that takes me. Rochester has a big pole vault community so there are plenty of opportunities for me to continue to compete after I graduate, and I am really looking forward to that.” 

An outdoor captain last year, she earned All-America accolades in the 4x400 when the Yellowjackets placed second at NCAAs in a school-record time of 3:41.17. 

The outdoor season begins Friday in Towson, Maryland. 

A long college career is winding down. O’Connell quickly became Rochester’s top pole vaulter in her first indoor season in 2019. She will leave with school marks and national titles. And memories that can’t be topped. 

“Over the past several years that I have been here, the program has gone through tremendous growth and reached new competitive levels and I am so proud to be a part of that,” O’Connell said. “More than anything, though, I will remember the people that supported me, cheered for me, ran with me, and jumped with me over these past years. I may not remember the heights that I jumped or the times that I ran, but I will always remember those precious moments with my team.” 

Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. He can be reached attdumas@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @TimDumas.