Zoe Barnes became the University of Southern Maine’s third national champion in women’s track and field, winning the shot put Saturday at the NCAA Division III championships in Birmingham, Alabama.
Barnes, a fifth-year season from New Gloucester, took the lead with her first throw, 46 feet, 3 1/4 inches. She improved to 47-6 1/2 on her third throw, then broke her own school record with her final throw in the sixth round, 48-8 1/4, which was more than a foot and a half better than her closest challenger.
Barnes is now a two-time All-American, having previously earned that honor in the discus at the 2025 outdoor championships.
Barnes joins Peyton Dostie (pentathlon, 2016) and Sophia Slovenski (javelin, 2021) as the only female NCAA champions in program history.