Cayla Eckenroth

Photo by: Kyle Crawford

Position:
Distance
Class:
Senior
High School:
Northville
Hometown:
Novi, Mich.

BALL STATE TOP PERFORMANCES: TFRRS Career Results Link
  Cross Country PRs: 5K - 18:23.1 (9/7/18) | 6K - 21:36.2 (10/18/19)
  Indoor PRs: Mile - 5:11.48 (2/21/20) | 1000m - 3:15.63 (1/20/18) |  3000m - 10:02.59 (2/7/20) | 5000m - 17:34.63 (2/28/20)
  Outdoor PRs: 800m - 2:24.94 (4/13/19) | 1500m - 4:44.13 (4/13/19) | 3000m - 10:07.20 (3/16/19) | 5000m - 17:33.17 (4/6/19)

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
- 2019 Second Team All-MAC in Cross Country
- Academic All-MAC (Cross Country: 2018, 2019 | Indoor: 2020 | Outdoor: 2019)

2020 OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (Jr.): The 2020 outdoor season was canceled due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

2020 INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (R-So.): Competed in six meets ... Academic All-Mid-American Conference ... placed 15th in the 5000m at the MAC Indoor Championships (Feb. 28) with a career-fast time of 17:34.63 ... placed fifth in the 3000m at the Akron Invitational (Feb. 7) with a career-fast time of 10:02.59 ... placed third in the mile at the Ball State Tune-Up (Feb. 21) with a career-fast effort of 5:11.48 and was also a member of the first-place 4x400m relay which finished in 4:53.86 ... opened the season winning the 3000m at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 7) with a time of 10:07.61.

2019 CROSS COUNTRY (Jr.): Competed in five meets ... Second Team All-MAC ... Academic All-MAC ... finished in Ball State's top three in all five meets she competed in ... led the Cardinals to the finish line and placed 11th overall at the MAC Cross Country Championships (Nov. 2) with a 6K time of 22:19.1 to earn Second Team All-MAC honors ... clocked a career-fast 6K time of 21:36.2 to win the Cardinal Classic (Oct. 18) ... finished second on the squad at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional (Nov. 15) with a 6K time of 22:27.3 ... opened the year with a season-fast 5K time of 18:37.8 at the Butler Open (Aug. 30).

2019 OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (So.): Competed in seven meets ... Academic All-Mid-American Conference ... placed 17th at the MAC Outdoor Championships (May 11) in the 5000m with a time of 17:46.11 ... turned in career-best performances in the 800m (2:24.94) and the 1500m (4:44.13) at the Ball State Challenge (April 13) ... placed sixth in the 5000m at the Oliver Nikoloff Invitational (April 6) with a career-fast time of 17:33.17 ... opened the season with a career-fast 3000m run of 10:07.20 at the Stan Lyons Invitational (March 16).

2019 INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (So.): Competed in two meets ... ran a season-fast 3000m of 10:27.82 to place fourth at the Tom Hathaway Distance Classic (Jan. 26) ... was granted a medical redshirt for the season due to injury.

2018 CROSS COUNTRY (So.): Competed in five meets ... Academic All-MAC ... scored in Ball State's top five in all five meets she competed in ... placed 75th among scored runners and fifth among Ball State competitors at the MAC Championships with a 6K time of 23:05.0 ... recorded a season-fast 6K time of 23:02.3 to lead Ball State's runners at the MSU Spartan Invitational (Sept. 14) ... recorded a career-fast 5K time of 18:23.1 to lead Ball State's runners and place second overall at the IWU Twilight Classic (Sept. 7) ... was BSU's fastest runner and placed eighth overall at the 5K Butler Open (Aug. 31) with a time of 18:36.8.

2018 OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (Fr.): Competed in six meets … ran a season-fast 5000m of 17:56.50 to place 25th at the Hillsdale "GINA" Relays (April 26) ... placed second in the 5000m at the Ball State Challenge (April 13) with a time of 18:23.11 ... logged a season-fast 1500m time of 4:25.01 at the Raleigh Relays (March 30) ... started the year with a season-fast 3000m time of 10:23.06 to place ninth at the Stan Lyons Invitational (March 17).

2018 INDOOR TRACK & FIELD (Fr.): Competed in five meets … won the 3000m run at the Ball State Tune-Up (Feb. 16) with a time of 10:40.02 ... recorded a season-fast 3000m time of 10:38.99 at the Kentucky Invitational (Jan. 13) ... her season-best 5000m time of 18:18.38 came in an eighth-place finish at the Akron Invitational (Feb. 2) ... opened her collegiate track & field career with a season-fast mile of 5:27.31 at the Mastodon Opener (Dec. 2) ... member of the first-place 4x800m relay at the Indiana Wesleyan University Invitational (Jan. 20) which clocked in at 9:57.78, while also placing fourth in the 1000m run with a career-fast effort of 3:15.63.

2017 CROSS COUNTRY (Fr.): Competed in seven meets … opened her collegiate career by leading the Cardinals to the finish line at the Butler Open (Sept. 1) with a season-fast 5K time of 18:27.3 ... scored in Ball State's top five in all seven meets she competed in ... finished third on the squad, and 60th among scored runners, at the Mid-American Conference Championships (Oct. 28) with a season-fast 6K time of 22:49.5 ... was also Ball State's third-fastest runner at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, crossing the 6K line in 23:14.4 ... finished second on the team at the RedHawk Rumble (Sept. 23) with a 10th-place 6K time of 23:34.8.

HIGH SCHOOL TOP PERFORMANCES:
PRs: 1600m – 5:01.19 | 3200m – 10:42.72 | 5K (XC) – 17:55.8

HIGH SCHOOL: Earned four letters in both cross country and track & field at Northville High School … also played basketball her freshman season.

CROSS COUNTRY: Named All-State as a freshman and sophomore … All-Conference all four years … set career best time of 17:55.8 during sophomore year at Coaching Legends Invite … helped guide Northville to the Michigan High School Athletic Association Division 1 State Championship as a freshman, earning her the team’s Best Newcomer award … team MVP as a senior and sophomore … runner of the year her sophomore season after placing 11th at the MHSAA LP D1 State Finals, the best state finish of her career.

TRACK AND FIELD: Set personal best 1600m time of 5:01.19 at MHSAA Regional/State meet senior season … set personal best 3200m time of 10:42.72 to place sixth at the MHSAA State Finals as a sophomore … helped team finish as MHSAA Division 1 Runner-Up her freshman campaign to earn newcomer of the year honors … team MVP as a senior … four-time All-Conference in the 3200m run, while earning All-State honors as a freshman and sophomore … three-time all-conference in the 1600m run … three-time All-State in the 4x800m relay.

PERSONAL: Daughter of Amy and Gregory Eckenroth … full name is Cayla Joelaine Eckenroth … majoring in business … born March 17^th, 1999 in Ventura, California.

DEGRIO ON ECKENROTH: "We are incredibly excited for Cayla to be joining the Ball State track & field and cross country programs. She comes from one of the top high school programs in the country and brings a very accomplished resume with her to Ball State. As one of the top seniors in the state of Michigan and having competed well at the national level, her presence will be immediately felt both on the cross country course and in the longer distance races on the track. In addition to being a great athlete, Cayla is an outstanding young woman who will continue building a positive team culture within our program."