With 800 meters to go at the national steeplechase final, Calvin senior Sophie Bull stopped dwelling on her nerves and focused on the finish line — and how much was left in her legs.
Rain poured down, barriers continued to rise in front of her, and the runners behind her were starting to fade. By the bell lap, Bull had opened a gap that would carry her all the way to the finish line and into the record book as a National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division III national champion in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Steeplechase is a 3,000-meter track event in which athletes complete several laps while clearing fixed barriers and a water jump on each circuit. Unlike standard hurdle races, the barriers are solid and do not fall when struck, so the event demands a mix of endurance, rhythm and agility as runners navigate thirty-five obstacles before the finish.
Bull crossed in 10:11.73, a Calvin school record and one of the fastest times in Division III history.
Bull began running seriously in her junior year of high school at Denver Christian School. Despite starting later than other competitors, today she is the 2025 Great Lakes Regional women’s cross country athlete of the year, a former regional outdoor track athlete of the year and the individual champion in the 2025 regional 6K race in Louisville, Kentucky.
Bull has now earned All-America honors five times in her distance running career: twice in cross country, once in indoor track and twice in outdoor track and field. In Division III, that means finishing in the top 40 at the national cross country meet or the top eight in a track event.
Off the results sheet, Bull introduces herself more simply.
“I am from Denver, Colorado, and I am majoring in kinesiology,” Bull said. “I love to run, but running is not my entire personality. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, being outdoors and spending quality time with people that I love and I plan to apply to physician assistant programs after graduation.”
Bull has spent the last two seasons as co-captain for the women’s cross country and track teams, working with two other captains to plan team events, keep teammates motivated and help set the tone for the season.
Her pre-race ritual is sacred and unchanging. Pasta the night before, a bagel with a banana on race mornings and the same socks for every race. On the traditions, Bull said, “I wouldn’t say I have any crazy superstitions — I just try to be consistent.”
Consistency in her coaches’ training, trust and maintaining a balance is what Bull credits for her improvement. She also emphasized that Calvin has helped her maintain balance.
“I think Calvin does an excellent job of developing people as a whole person and not just [in] one aspect,” she said. “People have poured into me in my athletics and my academics and as a person. I am thankful for my professors and coaches and my friends and community who support me in all aspects of my life. I feel blessed to be on this team and in this position.”
For younger Calvin runners as well as for women across campus, Bull offered this advice:
“Pour into your teammates and the people around you, because that is what makes the experience special,” she said. “And most importantly: be consistent, stay thankful and set goals.”
