Track & Field
A national champion in the 400-meter hurdles and a three-time All-American in track and field, Sandra Helquist is one of the most decorated athletes in Carleton history. In 1998, she competed in the 400 hurdles at the national outdoor meet and received the William S. and Mary Agnes Kelly Award winner, recognizing Carleton’s most improved track and field athlete.
Helquist built upon that honor a year later as on the final day of the 1999 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships, she broke the school record in the 400-meter dash, finishing at 56.55, which was good enough for fifth place and All-American distinction. Later in the day, she established another Carleton benchmark, recording a time of 61.05 as she captured the national title in the 400-meter hurdles. The following spring, she demonstrated her all-around skills by finishing fourth in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships, garnering her third All-American award.
In addition to starring on the national stage, Helquist dominated the MIAC, taking home all-conference honors 14 times in six different events over her career. She capped off her collegiate career by winning the MIAC’s Most Outstanding Athlete award in 2000. Helquist etched her name in Carleton’s history with a number of record-breaking performances. She established five school records and still owns the top spot in the 400-meter dash and 400-meter hurdles for outdoor track and as a member of the 4×200 and 4×400 indoor relay teams.
An excellent student during her time at Carleton, Helquist received the prestigious NCAA Postgraduate scholarship, was named to the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America At-Large Third Team in 2000, and earned Carleton’s Pat Lamb Award in 1999 and 2000.