Women’s track and field senior Riley Buese stepped to the starting line on May 24 for her final collegiate race. Two days after placing a career-best second at a national championship race in the 10K, Buese had a chance to cap off her historic career with another school record. The 2025 graduate entered the final lap of the 5,000 meters sitting in fourth place with 400 meters to go. She quickly passed Concordia University’s Ainara Sainz de Rozas and sprinted toward the finish line to place third in the 5K. As she leaned across the tape for the final time, she broke a tie with Lewis & Clark Hall of Fame women’s swimmer Debbie Heim Martinez BS ’91 for the most All-American honors by an L&C student-athlete (eight).
Over the course of her four years on Palatine Hill, Buese was named a First Team All-American in cross country (twice), in indoor track and field (three times), and in outdoor track and field (three times). She won nine Northwest Conference titles, earned All-Conference honors 12 times, and was selected to the All-Region Team on 20 occasions. In April, Lewis & Clark track and field hosted the Northwest Conference Championships for the first time in nine years. Buese (5,000 meters and 10,000 meters) and sophomore Harrison Fung (400-meter hurdles) each won gold medals on their home track.
Buese closed out her career as one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Lewis & Clark College.
