DAVIS, Calif. – Only a sophomore. The pace to stardom was nearly as fast as her training intervals. The winner of three championships in one calendar athletic year, Brianna Weidler will toe the line in the 5,000m at the NCAA Championship meet on Saturday evening in Austin, Texas.

In a year that started with the individual Big West cross country title and the first appearance by an Aggie at the NCAA National Championship since 2008, Weidler has enjoyed a record-breaking sophomore campaign.

"As we head into the NCAA Championship, I know Bri is prepared for any style of racing and has a wonderful opportunity to finish her season on the biggest platform," said head cross country coach and distance coach Emma Petersen. "I'm so very proud of her and everything she is doing to put the name UC Davis out there."

That style of racing will be put to the test at 7:55 p.m. PT, at Mike A. Myers Stadium. The final day of competition can be viewed on  ESPN+ and results can be viewed HERE.

The first title of the season came on October 29 when Weidler blew past the entire Big West Conference field by over 20 seconds to cross the finish line at 19:28.6 at the Agriculture Operations course at Riverside.

Just a couple months later Weidler was atop the podium again, winning the 3,000m at the MPSF Championship meet with a time of 9:34.27. The 3,000 was just her third time running that distance on the oval in her career.

"Bri is a model of consistency," coach Petersen said. "It's hard enough to be the number one woman on our team, let alone the entire conference, over different distances and surfaces. Her year can only be described as magical. Her conference winning time at the Big West cross country meet was the fastest time ever ran by a Big West athlete. Her one and only indoor race was a 3,000m PR to run away from the MPSF field."

All the miles logged, and grueling training did not deter the Temecula native. She flourished under the plan of the coaching staff to set a school record in the 5,000m.

In April at the Bryan Clay Invitational, Weidler became just the second Aggie to break the 16-minute mark in the 5,000m when she set the school record with a time of 15:48.57.

She then went on to win the 5,000m title at the Big West Championship and then clocked a 15:49.75 at the NCAA West Regional to punch her ticket to the national meet.

"Her 5,000m PR set this year was a Big West Conference record, and to put a cherry on top of the year her conference track championship winning time in the 5,000m was a championship record," Petersen said.

The three championships and the two NCAA appearances are as Coach Petersen explains 'Magical.'