UW-L’s Madison Habberstad makes history winning pole vault National Championship

A national championship with a school record in the pole vault — and the first in UW-La Crosse history to do it.

That summed up Madison Habberstad’s day to open the Division III National Championships at Veterans Field.

The junior, who took fifth last season, broke her own school record with a 13-foot, 7 ¼-inch vault.

Heather Kleckner was UW-L’s previous top finisher in the pole vault, placing second in 2002.

Habberstad’s title help propel the Eagles to the top spot after Day 1 of competition in the three-day meet. But she wasn’t the only pole vaulter with a role in that.

Senior teammate Araceli De Leo Lopez made her third and final trip to nationals her best, finishing fourth with All-American honors. Lopez cleared 13-1½. She had previously taken eighth (2023) and 15th (2025) in the event.

Another at UW-L making their final trip to nationals is Maya Evans, who placed fifth (19-4) to earn her fourth career outdoor All-American honor.

ABOVE: UWL’s Maya Evans competes in the long jump during the DIII National Championships at Veterans Field on May 22, 2026 (PHOTO: UWL Athletics); TOP PHOTO: UW-L junior Madison Habberstad competes in the pole vault during the DIII National Championships at Veterans Field on May 21, 2026 (PHOTO: UWL Athletics)

The senior took second in 2024 and 14th in 2025. She, however, isn’t finished. Evans competes in the triple jump on Saturday, where she’s seeded third.

Meanwhile, these Eagles qualified for Saturday’s finals:

Andie Otto advances in the 400 hurdles (1:00.95).
Julia Zalewski (10:31.52) and Becca Immer (10:31.85) both advanced in the 3,000 steeplechase. Immer took 15th last year.
UW-L’s 4×400-relay of Jocelyn Thomson, Macy Reybrock, Zoe Lain and Otto advanced to Saturday’s final after finishing with the top-qualifying time (3:44.37) in preliminaries. Reybrock earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in this relay last season.