The NCAA track and field season is coming to its business end. And quite expectedly, the encounters are filled with some incredibly exciting moments. Take the women’s 400m for example. With the action coming to the Virginia Beach Sports Center, Aaliyah Butler came in as the firm favorite. After all, Butler clocked 49.71 at the Olympic trials, which is also her personal best. But that is not what happened, and when the women’s 400m indoor event concluded, the person who won the event was someone nobody expected. However, despite being showered in the lights of glory, the Arkansas Razorbacks’ sprinter still has one big regret.
Now, who is she? Well, it is none other than Isabella Whittaker. Putting up a stellar display in the recently concluded event, Whittaker clinched the pole position with a timing of 49.24s. Well, this was far from just winning a race. With the win, Whittaker won the maiden NCAA title in her track career. According to the website of the Arkansas Razorbacks, her time is a significant improvement from the previous American and collegiate record of 49.48 held by Britton Wilson.
However, looking back, Whittaker reflected on how much she has improved from the first race of the season. Recalling the moment, the athlete stated that she ran 51.29s in her first 400m dash this season. She said, “I ran [51.29] in my first 400 of the season, which was a PR indoors for me, and I ran it completely terrible,” Whittaker said. “Executed so poorly. I think once I ran that, I was like, ‘Oh, well, that was still pretty fast. Let’s take it and run with it.’” she further added. Terming it as terrible, Whittaker mentioned how with every passing race, she worked hard and made her level go up little by little.
Owing to her incredible performance, the USTFCCCA made a special announcement. And it came as the icing on the cake. As per the news, Whittaker was adjudged the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Indoor National Track Athlete of the Year. Surely, such an achievement made Whittaker elated to the core. Not trying to hide her emotions, the Razorbacks’ sprinter stated that this was “the best season of [her] life.”
Coming to the finals, Whittaker only cared about one thing. She wanted to win. “The biggest thing I was thinking about was that I just wanted to win,” Whittaker said. “I knew that if I were to even just try to win, the time would be fast. I try not to think too much about time. I try to think about competing and being really confident in my ability to come out on top,” she further added. However, she also dropped a surprising revelation. Whittaker stated that she was also thinking about the American record in hindsight.
Arkansas’ Isabella Whittaker puncutated “the best season of [her] life” with an American record and, on Monday, the national indoor track athlete of the year award. Whittaker on her big season and her future: https://t.co/5jA16JpCps
— Christina Long (@christinalong00) March 25, 2025
While that was not the ultimate goal, Whittaker felt lucky that she was able to accomplish both at once. Meanwhile, such a big honor did not happen overnight. Isabella Whittaker has been showing glimpses of her track prowess for a long time.
Isabella Whittaker’s meteoric rise from NCAA star to World-class contender
Isabella Whittaker’s rise in the 400m has been nothing short of extraordinary. In March 2025, she etched her name into the history books with a blistering 49.24 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Virginia Beach. And that also made her the second-fastest woman ever in the indoor 400m. That performance of Isabella set a new American and NCAA record, as she surpassed Britton Wilson’s mark. Moreover, she is now placed just behind Femke Bol on the all-time list. This came just two weeks after Whittaker had announced her growing dominance by clocking 49.90 at the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships.
Isabella’s rise was already gaining momentum in 2024. She clocked a personal best of 50.17 seconds to finish fifth at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. Later that month, she reached the final of the U.S. Olympic Trials with a 50.48 in the semifinals before placing sixth, clocking 50.68. Whittaker’s consistency and growth even earned her a spot in the American relay pool for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Isabella’s journey to this point indeed reflects a steady evolution. From winning multiple Ivy League titles to anchoring relays with stunning splits, Whittaker has shown an ability to deliver under pressure. But her 2025 indoor season has elevated her status from rising star to world-class contender.
The post “Executed So Poorly”: American Track and Field Star Makes Bittersweet Confession Days After Career Defining Record appeared first on EssentiallySports.
