Saturday, June 14
Eugene, Ore.
9:24 p.m. ET
Central Michigan University
at
NCAA Championships
Paupore 11th in NCAA Steeplechase Championship, Named Second Team All-American
6/14/2025 9:47:00 PM | Track & Field
Negaunee, Mich. senior caps legendary collegiate career at Hayward Field
EUGENE, Ore. — After five years of representing Central Michigan, Emily Paupore has taken her victory lap, and there is no better place to do so than the big stage.
The decorated Negaunee, Mich. senior raced for the final time on Saturday, representing Central Michigan in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
She finished 11th in the Championship race, which earned her Second Team All-American honors. In her first collegiate race in Eugene on Thursday, the semifinal, she ran a stunning 9:43.24 to become the final qualifier to Saturday's title race.
"I was just really excited to be here," Paupore said. "I was just trying to take in the moment and be grateful for the opportunity, I'm racing against some of the best girls in the nation, in the world, and it was just a really cool moment. I knew it was my last NCAA race so I was trying to take it all in, racing in such a cool atmosphere. It was bittersweet.
Paupore ran alongside some of the most decorated track and field athletes in the nation, including Alabama's Doris Lemingole, who set the NCAA Track and Field steeplechase record and ran the fastest time in the world in 2025.
"Before the race, I finally let the realization that it was her last race hit me a little," said Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Jenny Swieton, who has coached Paupore through her entire collegiate career. "I've successfully avoided that thought all season and finally I let it creep in a little, for me it was just like her victory lap. She earned this spot in the final, which is so hard to get.
"To think that someone destroyed the collegiate record and ran the number one time in the world in her race, she made the final where people are doing that. The fact that she's come so far to make a final with people of that caliber, we're just taking it all in. She fought to the end, and I wouldn't have expected anything different.
Paupore closes her collegiate career with one NCAA Championship appearance in this season's outdoor outing, Second Team All-American honors, two outdoor Mid-American Conference titles (5000m and 3000S, both 2025), two MAC indoor titles (2024, 2025 5000m), a MAC Cross Country title, three MAC bronze medals between indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and is a two-time NCAA Cross Country All-Region honoree.
"Coming in, I wasn't the fastest high school recruit and just the fact that CMU took a chance on me," said Paupore. "If you told me in high school that I would be racing at the NCAA Championships, I would not have believed you. The fact that they took the chance on me, I've developed so much and developed such good relationships. It's not just about running. I love my team, I love my coaches, it just meant a lot."
"I'm just really thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be on the stage and represent all the people who believed in me."
Paupore is a five-time First-Team All-MAC and three-time second team All-MAC honoree and holds eight CMU school records between cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. A full list of Paupore's career accolades can be found here.
"I don't even know if I can put it into words," said Swieton on coaching Paupore. "Everything about who she is has meant so much to the program. Not only is she here, she's an All-American, that's super awesome, but the way that she goes about doing it, she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's friends with everyone on the team and all of the other student-athletes at CMU, she is such a good example for the university and our team. Emily would never consider herself above anyone else, none of those thoughts would ever creep into her mind.
"I don't think you get the opportunity to coach many people like that, she truly has fun competing. It just makes it more fun for everybody around her. It's just as much about who she is as a person as it is, what she's accomplished as an athlete."
The decorated Negaunee, Mich. senior raced for the final time on Saturday, representing Central Michigan in the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field.
She finished 11th in the Championship race, which earned her Second Team All-American honors. In her first collegiate race in Eugene on Thursday, the semifinal, she ran a stunning 9:43.24 to become the final qualifier to Saturday's title race.
"I was just really excited to be here," Paupore said. "I was just trying to take in the moment and be grateful for the opportunity, I'm racing against some of the best girls in the nation, in the world, and it was just a really cool moment. I knew it was my last NCAA race so I was trying to take it all in, racing in such a cool atmosphere. It was bittersweet.
Paupore ran alongside some of the most decorated track and field athletes in the nation, including Alabama's Doris Lemingole, who set the NCAA Track and Field steeplechase record and ran the fastest time in the world in 2025.
"Before the race, I finally let the realization that it was her last race hit me a little," said Director of Cross Country/Track and Field Jenny Swieton, who has coached Paupore through her entire collegiate career. "I've successfully avoided that thought all season and finally I let it creep in a little, for me it was just like her victory lap. She earned this spot in the final, which is so hard to get.
"To think that someone destroyed the collegiate record and ran the number one time in the world in her race, she made the final where people are doing that. The fact that she's come so far to make a final with people of that caliber, we're just taking it all in. She fought to the end, and I wouldn't have expected anything different.
Paupore closes her collegiate career with one NCAA Championship appearance in this season's outdoor outing, Second Team All-American honors, two outdoor Mid-American Conference titles (5000m and 3000S, both 2025), two MAC indoor titles (2024, 2025 5000m), a MAC Cross Country title, three MAC bronze medals between indoor and outdoor track and field and cross country and is a two-time NCAA Cross Country All-Region honoree.
"Coming in, I wasn't the fastest high school recruit and just the fact that CMU took a chance on me," said Paupore. "If you told me in high school that I would be racing at the NCAA Championships, I would not have believed you. The fact that they took the chance on me, I've developed so much and developed such good relationships. It's not just about running. I love my team, I love my coaches, it just meant a lot."
"I'm just really thankful and grateful for the opportunity to be on the stage and represent all the people who believed in me."
Paupore is a five-time First-Team All-MAC and three-time second team All-MAC honoree and holds eight CMU school records between cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field. A full list of Paupore's career accolades can be found here.
"I don't even know if I can put it into words," said Swieton on coaching Paupore. "Everything about who she is has meant so much to the program. Not only is she here, she's an All-American, that's super awesome, but the way that she goes about doing it, she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's friends with everyone on the team and all of the other student-athletes at CMU, she is such a good example for the university and our team. Emily would never consider herself above anyone else, none of those thoughts would ever creep into her mind.
"I don't think you get the opportunity to coach many people like that, she truly has fun competing. It just makes it more fun for everybody around her. It's just as much about who she is as a person as it is, what she's accomplished as an athlete."
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Track & FieldFeature Interview with CMU XC/TF's Emily Paupore
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Friday, May 10
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Thursday, May 09