Worcester Polytechnic Institute senior standout looks to become first NCAA Division 3 champion in program history in any event after 2:06.54 performance in 800 meters in Boston

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Sydney Packard didn’t just need a break from running last March, she needed a change of scenery and shift in mindset.

So the Worcester Polytechnic Institute middle-distance standout not only ventured outside of Massachusetts, but to the other side of the world to Himachal Pradesh, India, where she began an eight-week study abroad program at the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi.

The change in schedule and day-to-day life arrived at the ideal time for Packard, following an indoor track season where she enjoyed success – repeating as Division 3 New England 800-meter champion – but battled nagging IT band issues and placed seventh at the national championship meet after finishing third in 2018.

It was the first season Packard didn’t drop time in her signature event.

“This ended up coming at a good time,” Packard said. “The end of indoor, I was feeling a little run down and it was nice to go away and not worry about training, and just being able to reset.”

A week after concluding the indoor season with a disappointing finish in the 800 at Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Boston, Packard was hiking in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, walking up a winding eight-mile trek.

“It was amazing turning the corner and seeing the first snow-capped mountain,” Packard recalled. “As we kept going, we got to see the whole mountain range and it was beautiful. I was definitely in awe.”

The images of her first day on the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi campus come flowing back into Packard’s memory with ease. Along with three other students from WPI and two from the host school, her time was spent working on a project of the feasibility of improving waste management at trekking sites in the Himachal Pradesh area.

“We’d go and talk to different sponsors from volunteer organizations and people at the hiking trails to try and figure out better ways to manage the waste,” she said. “It’s kind of weird, they have little shops at the tops of mountains where they sell potato chips and all those bags and water bottles get tossed everywhere.” 

A year after walking to the top of those majestic Himalayan mountains in India, Packard looks to stand atop the podium Saturday as the first national champion in WPI program history at the NCAA Division 3 Indoor Championships at JDL FastTrack in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Packard, a senior, is the top seed in the 800 meters at 2:06.54 – No. 2 all-time in Division 3 indoor history on a 200-meter banked track and third-fastest overall – and is also scheduled to run Friday as a member of the Engineers’ distance medley relay, seeded sixth overall.

“She’s the true definition of a student-athlete,” WPI head coach Brian Chabot said. “She’s very smart and takes on a lot, but running means something to her, and it matters.”

From Georgetown, Mass., Packard attended Bishop Fenwick High, a private Roman Catholic school in Peabody, where she posted modest times as a mid-distance runner, making progress every year. Chabot remembers watching her at the Massachusetts All-State meet and seeing untapped talent.

“She ran 2:19 in the 800 and I saw the potential she had,” Chabot said. “It was clear she didn't have the strength yet. When the top runners were starting to pull away, she just couldn't go with them. But I thought, ‘We can get her that.’” 

Packard said she was drawn to the 800 at an early age. She remembers in middle school during a track meet, she missed the call for the mile and was placed in the 800 instead. She beat everyone, including the boys.

“She’s got very natural foot speed,” Chabot said. “(At the beginning) it was being smart about the way we build up her overall endurance.”

Packard hit the ground running for WPI as a freshman, qualifying for indoor and outdoor nationals in the 800. She finished seventh at the 2017 Division 3 outdoor championships in 2:11.05 and was the first rookie to qualify for the national meet under Chabot. She finished third at indoor nationals (2:09.10) and fourth outdoors (2:09.65) in the 800 as a sophomore.

A chemical engineering major, Packard has a unique relationship with Chabot, where she’s able to have an open dialogue, discussing her plans, goals and what she wants to accomplish.

“She’s almost like another coach,” Chabot said. “We sit down and have very strategic discussions about training and plotting out competitions and where we want to get to. She’s able to have those discussions without putting pressure on herself.” 

Following her stint in India from March to May, Packard put together a solid fall of running 6-kilometer cross country races, placing 20th at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference final, in addition to finishing in the top 40 at the Division 3 New England regional meet.

That endurance base built the foundation for one of the most impressive seasons by any middle-distance athlete in NCAA Division 3 history.

Packard placed 14th overall Feb. 15 at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational, competing against an 800 field chock full of professionals and Division 1 athletes.

Her 2:06.54 performance trailed only the NCAA Division 3 indoor record 2:06.53 achieved by Ohio Northern’s Emily Richards at the CrossPlex in Birmingham, Ala., at the 2018 national final. Richards also clocked 2:05.28 on an oversized track that year, with Christy Cazzola of Wisconsin-Oshkosh running 2:05.76 on an oversized track in 2013.

“When I crossed the line, I didn’t really believe it because the race just felt really smooth, and it didn’t feel like I was overly straining,” Packard said. “The BU track seems to be a little magic.”

A week later at the Springfield College Triangle Classic, Packard won the 1,000 in 2:52.70, another school record and the top reported time in Division 3 history.

“Indoors she’s been clicking,” Chabot said. “The 800 time, I told her this is something we can do. She’s ambitious, and I wanted her to make sure she knew she was capable of doing it. Sometimes you’ve got to prove it to yourself, and that’s what she did.”

Chabot, who describes the senior as quiet, but not standoffish, said Packard could very well leave WPI as the school’s best athlete ever. A four-time All-American, Packard owns 11 school records – indoor and outdoor combined.

Although she is set to graduate in May, Packard could add to her legacy by competing during the fall and spring seasons. Packard will be enrolled in graduate school at WPI working on her thesis in Synthetic Biology/Metabolic Engineering in the Chemical Engineering department, but she still has a season each of cross country and outdoor track eligibility remaining.

“She doesn’t feel the need to be the center of attention. She’s not out there seeking attention,” Chabot said. “She could very well go down as the very best athlete to step foot on this campus, men’s or women’s, when it’s all said and done and I’m not sure it’s fully recognized.”

Following a New England mile title Feb. 29, Packard’s eyes are focused on a strong finish to the indoor season, with extra incentive to erase the frustrations of last year’s national championship meet.

“Hopefully for the 800, I make it to the finals and run well,” she said. “And I hope I can run well in the DMR, and run fast for the other girls on the team. Last year I had a good season, but I wasn’t really enjoying training every day, so I’m really happy to get all of that junk out of my head this year and race some fast times.”