Willis Named Athlete of WeekWillis Named Athlete of Week
John Lozano/isiphotos.com
Track & Field

Willis Named Athlete of Week

Stanford runner wins ACC weekly honor

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford junior Roisin Willis was named Indoor Women’s Track Performer of the Week by the Atlantic Coast Conference after her stunning performance at the UW Indoor Preview/Mile City meet in Seattle on Friday.

At her first try at 600 meters as a collegian, Willis ran 1:25.74 on Dempsey Indoor’s 307-meter flat track, breaking meet, facility, and school records. Oregon’s Raevyn Rogers held both standards with her 1:26.34 in 2016. The Stanford record, also set at Dempsey Indoor, was 1:28.22 by Olivia Baker in 2017.

Because the race was run on an oversized track, it doesn’t count for collegiate indoor record purposes. However, considering all 600s, no matter the track size, Willis ran the second-fastest indoor time in collegiate history, behind only the 1:25.16 by Britton Wilson of Arkansas in 2023 on a 200-meter track. Third is Texas A&M’s Athing Mu, the Tokyo Olympic 800 champion, who ran 1:25.80 in 2021.

Willis now ranks No. 15 on the all-time U.S. women’s 600 list, including indoors and outdoors.

The race marked the season debut for Willis, a two-time NCAA champion. Willis won the 2023 NCAA indoor 800 title and was the 2024 NCAA outdoor 800 runner-up to teammate Juliette Whittaker. Willis also was part of the 2023 NCAA indoor champion distance medley relay team.

Willis is Stanford’s first ACC Performer of the Week in track and field.