After Becoming Chatham’s First NCAA All-American, Aurielle Brunner Wants to Go Further

Aurielle Brunner leapt to two All-American Awards at the NCAA Championships. (Photo: Seawon Park)

Aurielle Brunner ’25 was unsure of herself as she approached the triple jump at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Rochester.

She set her last personal record (or PR) in the event, 12.31 meters, some weeks prior at a track-and-field meet at Carnegie Mellon University. But she hadn’t been able to crack 12 meters since then.

“I was kind of nervous going into the triple jump and seeing everyone else hitting 12 meters,” Brunner, who majors in biology, said. “I was nervous I wasn’t going to be able to hit a 12 meter.”

It was in the finals at Rochester that Brunner not only hit a new personal high, but she set a Chatham University record: 12.37 meters. The leap gave her a fourth-place finish in the event and earned her a second All-American Award.

She won her first All-American Award during that weekend’s long jump, where she placed fifth with 5.78 meters.

It made Brunner the first NCAA All-American in Chatham history, an electrifying experience for someone who said she was just excited to be participating.

“Getting to the NCAA Nationals and getting to be one of the top for Division III is one of the most amazing experiences ever,” Brunner said.

Photos: Seawon Park, Jen Reagan

It was in the fall of 2021 that Brunner came to Chatham from Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic High School for basketball. During the spring semester, a friend on the track-and-field team convinced her to try the sport. She hadn’t competed in the triple jump since her freshman year in high school. 

Just three days after joining the team, she took home a gold medal in the triple jump at West Virginia University, setting a PAC championship record on her second jump after bounding 11.79 meters.

“I broke three school records, so I just stuck with it,” she said. “Here I am now.”

Brunner put much of the praise on her coach, Eden Bloom, and the advice and training that allowed her to consistently outdo her own personal best.

“She was honestly the best coach we could ever have,” she said. “She knows how to do everything, and she always helps us get to where we want to go.” 

And despite goodhearted ribbing between teammates – “That’s mid!” they initially said about her record-setting jump at CMU, only to break out in wild cheers when they realized how far she’d leapt – Brunner said everyone in the program supports each other regardless of the event in which they compete.

“Our team is so close, whether you’re long distance, short distance, a thrower or jumper— it doesn’t matter,” she said. “We cheer for each other the entire time. It’s just honestly a great environment to be around.”

In the coming year, Brunner said she wants to achieve the same feats she did at the NCAA Championship and go beyond them.

“Hopefully I succeed even more and PR even more throughout the season,” she said. “I’m sure I can with Eden’s help and all the other coaches’ help. They help so much. I’m excited.”

Mick Stinelli is a Writer and Digital Content Specialist at Chatham University. His writing has previously appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and 90.5 WESA, and he has a BA in Broadcast Production and Media Management from Point Park University. Mick, a native of western Pennsylvania, spends his free time watching movies and playing music.