North Carolina State University Athletics
Sadie Engelhardt Named ACC Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year
3/27/2026 12:56:00 PM | Track
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - NC State track & field's Sadie Engelhardt has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Indoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year, the league announced Friday.
Engelhardt capped off a remarkable indoor campaign that saw her break two school records and an ACC record, claim the ACC mile title and finish third in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
She made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener, posting a time of 9:09.47 in the 300m.
Engelhardt followed that performance by rewriting the record book at the ASICS Sound Running Invite, breaking both the NC State and ACC mile records with a time of 4:23.84. The mark ranked NO. 5 in the NCAA during the 2025-26 indoor season and currently ranks No. 6 all-time in NCAA collegiate history. She was named ACC Freshman Track Athlete of the Week on Feb. 17 following that performance.
To close out the regular season, Engelhardt played a pivotal role in NC State's record-breaking distance medley relay alongside Bethany Michalak, Brooke Rauber and Angelina Napoleon. Anchoring the relay, she took the baton with the Wolfpack in fourth place, nearly 10 seconds behind the leader, and delivered a 4:23.55 1600m split to secure the victory in 10:46.00.
For her performance in the DMR, Engelhardt was named the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division I National of the Week on Feb. 23, while the relay squad also earned ACC Track Athletes of the Week honors on Feb. 24.
Her postseason performances matched the momentum of her regular season. At the ACC Indoor Championships, Engelhardt helped the DMR squad to a second-place finish in 10:52.59, the No. 6 time in program history.
She went on to capture the ACC mile title in 4:32.49 after advancing from the prelims with a time of 4:35.90.
Engelhardt closed the indoor season on the national stage, finishing third in the mile at the NCAA Indoor Championships with a time of 4:38.62 after winning her preliminary heat.
Players Mentioned
