Jillian Strynar’s Record-Breaking Beginning

Annika Haley ’26

The Trinity College track and field team has a new rising star. In just her first collegiate season, first-year Jillian Strynar ’28 has already joined the Bantams’ record books, setting new school records in both the 200-meter and 60-meter sprints. Her outstanding performances displayed her talent and signaled a bright future for herself and the Trinity College track and field team. As the indoor season picks up, Strynar is making a significant impact for the Bantams. 

At the Wesleyan Winter Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, Strynar broke the school record in the 60-meter dash not once but twice. She first broke the record in the preliminary round of the Wesleyan Indoor Invitational with a 7.85 before lowering it to 7.83 in the finals, passing the previous record set by Katie Marlow-Benedick ’20 in 2018. Her incredible performance also secured her a spot in the Division III New England Championships from Feb. 28 to March 1, 2025. In Strynar’s next meet, she reset her own 60-meter record with a 7.74 in both the prelims and finals before dominating the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.12, another school record. 

Strynar’s journey in track and field began during her freshman year of high school. Although she initially joined her school’s team to try hurdles, javelin and high jump, she quickly found her calling as a sprinter. In an interview with the Trinity Tripod, she reflected on her early experiences: “I first started running track my freshman year of high school, but I only ran in the spring. I did cheerleading, and we would run a mile at the beginning of practice, and everyone would say, ‘You should join the track team!’ I joined hurdles, javelin and high jump,

and I never ended up doing a single one of those events. I ran my first meet, and my parents were like, ‘Wait, you weren’t joking!’”

When it came time to choose a college, Strynar knew she wanted a Division III program where she could balance track with other aspects of student life. “I was very focused on going to a Division III school because track isn’t my whole life. I just enjoy the meets and the people. Coach Mason and Maya recruited me, and I liked my overnight stay here. They were all really sweet to me. I also really liked how small the classes are here.”

Strynar has already made a name for herself at Trinity, setting school records in both the 60-meter and 200-meter dashes. Reflecting on her record-setting performances, she recalled the competition that pushed her to new heights. “There is this senior from Williams, and she was ranked ahead of me, so I was a little bit nervous. I knew that this meet was a big deal and that I hadn’t seen these teams before, so I wanted to show them who I am. I just wanted to run a good race, and I had been practicing a lot for it. During prelims, I had run my 7.74, and I was thinking, ‘Oh, that’s a big jump from last week, that should be good.’ I ended up tying that in the finals against the runner from Williams. She is super duper fast, but she PRed that meet, and I still haven’t PRed this season. She got first, and I got second.”

Despite already leaving a mark on the program, Strynar remains focused on long-term improvement. “I am excited for more years to come. I know a few of the recruits coming next year, and I am excited for that because I just love the team. Obviously, it’s cool that I broke the school record and everything, but it sort of makes me nervous for the future if I do not improve over the years. If it was senior year and I never broke it again, that would be unfortunate. I hope that this is a sign that the training is all good and that it’ll take me even further.”

Being part of the Trinity track and field team has also played a key role in Strynar’s transition to college life. “If I am being honest, I feel like if I wasn’t part of a team here at Trinity, I would sort of have trouble interacting throughout my day. I really like the structure of having practice at a certain time every day. I love having all my teammates because track is boys and girls, and it’s a huge team, so I started college knowing a lot of people which I really liked. It is a really tight-knit family feeling that I love.”

Looking ahead, Strynar has her sights set on qualifying for nationals. “I would say my goal is to make nationals. You have to be top 20 in DIII. Currently, I am in the top 20 for both the 60 meters and 200 meters, but I am on the cusp, so I need to keep PRing in order to keep that up. I feel like that is definitely my motivation, not only to place well at the meet but also to improve my time so I can stay on the ranking. In high school, I won’t even lie, I did it for the medals, but we don’t have that in college, so now my goal is nationals. In the 200-meter sprint, we had a meet at the Armory last weekend, and I PRed by half a second. I just PRed by another half second which means I have improved by a whole second since last year which is crazy to think about. The 200-meter sprint was never really my event, so it makes me happy that I am getting a lot better at it.”

With her impressive start to the season and drive to improve, Strynar is quickly establishing herself as a force to be reckoned with within the NESCAC.

As the season continues, Jillian Strynar’s record-breaking performances have set the stage for a seemingly outstanding collegiate career. With her determination, talent, and love for the sport, she continues to push her limits and improve as an athlete. As she continues to work hard, Strynar is proving to herself and others just how far she can go in her collegiate career.