Rice University Athletics
2025-26 Women's Track & Field Roster
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Mckyla Van der Westhuizen
- Height:
- 5-9
- Class:
- Senior
- High School:
- Hoërskool Zwartkop
- Hometown:
- Gauteng, South Africa
Van der Westhuizen's TFRRS Results
2026 National Champion - Javelin - 60.87m
Rice All-Time Ranking (as of June, 2026)
No. 1 in Javelin - 60.87m (199-8-10) - June 11, 2026
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
2026 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (1st-Javelin)
2025 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (7th-Javelin)
2024 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (3rd-Javelin)
2023 NCAA Outdoor Second Team All-American (11th-Javelin)
CONFERENCE TITLES
2026 American Outdoor - Javelin
2025 American Outdoor - Javelin
2024 AAC Outdoor - Javelin
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
2026 American Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2025 American Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2024 AAC Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2023 C-USA Outdoor Javelin (2nd)
AT MAJOR MEETS
2026 NCAA Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 60.87m / 199-8
2026 NCAA West Prelims - 2nd, Javelin, 57.09m / 187-4
2026 American Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 57.34m / 188-1
2025 NCAA Outdoor - 7th, Javelin, 56.65m / 185-10
2025 NCAA West Prelims - 3rd, Javelin, 57.17m / 187-7
2025 American Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 54.85m / 179-11
2024 NCAA Outdoor - 3rd, Javelin, 57.51m / 188-8
2024 NCAA West Prelims - 4th, Javelin, 55.55m / 182-3
2024 AAC Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 53.40m / 175-2
2023 NCAA Outdoor - 11th, Javelin, 52.29m / 171-07
2023 NCAA West Prelims- 7th, Javelin, 55.18 / 181-00
2023 C-USA Outdoor - 2nd, Javelin, 54.19 / 177-09
ATHLETIC HONORS
2026 NCAA National Champion
2026 USTFCCCA South Central Field Athlete of the Year
2025 Joyce Pounds Hardy Award Winner
2023 C-USA Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week (3/28)
ACADEMIC HONORS
2024-25 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2024-25 American All-Academic
2022-25 CSC Academic All-District
2023-24 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2023-24 AAC All-Academic
2023-24 CSC Academic All-American Second Team
2023-24 CSC Academic All-District
2022-23 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2022-23 C-USA Academic Medal
2022-23 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2025-26
Outdoor: Threw at seven meets...Became the first national champion in 24 years for Rice women's track and field, jumping from third to first on her sixth and final attempt off a school record throw of 60.87m...Won the 16th national title in program history and became the 10th national champion athlete in program history...Also became the first female outdoor track and field national champion in American Conference history...Closed her career with her third consecutive First Team All-American honor and fourth overall...Won her third consecutive American Conference title, besting her teammate in the finals...Won the javelin title at six meets, finishing second at the west prelims.
2024-25
Outdoor: Threw at seven meets...Earned her third consecutive All-American honors after finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships to earn First Team All-American recognition...Advanced to nationals after finishing third in the javelin at the West Prelims...Defended her javelin title at the American Outdoor Championships with a throw of 54.85m...Had a career-best throw of 60.29m to open the 2025 season at the Victor Lopez Classic.
2023-24
Outdoor: Threw at six meets...Finished third in the nation in the javelin after a personal best throw at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, earning First Team All-American honors...Claimed her first conference title at the 2024 AAC Championships...Claimed three javelin titles throughout the season...Finished fourth at the NCAA West Prelims to advance to the championship meet.
2022-23
Outdoor: Competed in nine meets...Earned Second Team All-American honors with an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Austin...In just her second meet of her college career, became second all-time at Rice for javelin with a throw of 56.68m (185-11). Had a second-place showing at the C-USA Championships while finishing seventh at the NCAA West Prelims. Took four event titles this season (all in javelin).
HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Hoërskool Zwartkop in Eldoraigne, Gauteng, South Africa...was a two-time Top-8 finisher in javelin at the junior world championships...graduated with a 3.50 GPA.
PERSONAL
Parents: Carel and Yanda (one sister)...born in Centurion, South Africa...Rice College: Wiess...Major: Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology
2026 National Champion - Javelin - 60.87m
Rice All-Time Ranking (as of June, 2026)
No. 1 in Javelin - 60.87m (199-8-10) - June 11, 2026
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
2026 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (1st-Javelin)
2025 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (7th-Javelin)
2024 NCAA Outdoor First Team All-American (3rd-Javelin)
2023 NCAA Outdoor Second Team All-American (11th-Javelin)
CONFERENCE TITLES
2026 American Outdoor - Javelin
2025 American Outdoor - Javelin
2024 AAC Outdoor - Javelin
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
2026 American Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2025 American Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2024 AAC Outdoor Javelin (1st)
2023 C-USA Outdoor Javelin (2nd)
AT MAJOR MEETS
2026 NCAA Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 60.87m / 199-8
2026 NCAA West Prelims - 2nd, Javelin, 57.09m / 187-4
2026 American Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 57.34m / 188-1
2025 NCAA Outdoor - 7th, Javelin, 56.65m / 185-10
2025 NCAA West Prelims - 3rd, Javelin, 57.17m / 187-7
2025 American Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 54.85m / 179-11
2024 NCAA Outdoor - 3rd, Javelin, 57.51m / 188-8
2024 NCAA West Prelims - 4th, Javelin, 55.55m / 182-3
2024 AAC Outdoor - 1st, Javelin, 53.40m / 175-2
2023 NCAA Outdoor - 11th, Javelin, 52.29m / 171-07
2023 NCAA West Prelims- 7th, Javelin, 55.18 / 181-00
2023 C-USA Outdoor - 2nd, Javelin, 54.19 / 177-09
ATHLETIC HONORS
2026 NCAA National Champion
2026 USTFCCCA South Central Field Athlete of the Year
2025 Joyce Pounds Hardy Award Winner
2023 C-USA Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week (3/28)
ACADEMIC HONORS
2024-25 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2024-25 American All-Academic
2022-25 CSC Academic All-District
2023-24 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2023-24 AAC All-Academic
2023-24 CSC Academic All-American Second Team
2023-24 CSC Academic All-District
2022-23 USTFCCCA All-Academic Team
2022-23 C-USA Academic Medal
2022-23 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
2025-26
Outdoor: Threw at seven meets...Became the first national champion in 24 years for Rice women's track and field, jumping from third to first on her sixth and final attempt off a school record throw of 60.87m...Won the 16th national title in program history and became the 10th national champion athlete in program history...Also became the first female outdoor track and field national champion in American Conference history...Closed her career with her third consecutive First Team All-American honor and fourth overall...Won her third consecutive American Conference title, besting her teammate in the finals...Won the javelin title at six meets, finishing second at the west prelims.
2024-25
Outdoor: Threw at seven meets...Earned her third consecutive All-American honors after finishing seventh at the NCAA Championships to earn First Team All-American recognition...Advanced to nationals after finishing third in the javelin at the West Prelims...Defended her javelin title at the American Outdoor Championships with a throw of 54.85m...Had a career-best throw of 60.29m to open the 2025 season at the Victor Lopez Classic.
2023-24
Outdoor: Threw at six meets...Finished third in the nation in the javelin after a personal best throw at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, earning First Team All-American honors...Claimed her first conference title at the 2024 AAC Championships...Claimed three javelin titles throughout the season...Finished fourth at the NCAA West Prelims to advance to the championship meet.
2022-23
Outdoor: Competed in nine meets...Earned Second Team All-American honors with an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships in Austin...In just her second meet of her college career, became second all-time at Rice for javelin with a throw of 56.68m (185-11). Had a second-place showing at the C-USA Championships while finishing seventh at the NCAA West Prelims. Took four event titles this season (all in javelin).
HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Hoërskool Zwartkop in Eldoraigne, Gauteng, South Africa...was a two-time Top-8 finisher in javelin at the junior world championships...graduated with a 3.50 GPA.
PERSONAL
Parents: Carel and Yanda (one sister)...born in Centurion, South Africa...Rice College: Wiess...Major: Sports Medicine & Exercise Physiology
Wednesday, March 09
Saturday, December 04
Thursday, December 02
