Julie Eagle Malecek '13
Year: Class of 2023
Team: Women's Track & Field
Julie Eagle Malecek was one of the fiercest competitors and most feared jumpers in the NCAA during her time as an Engineer.
The WPI program record holder in the outdoor high jump (1.76m), she was a three-time All-America, each time placing in the top-three in the high jump at the NCAA Championships. She joins 2006 WPI Hall of Famer Mike Pockoski '99 as the only athletes in program history to have that many top-three national finishes.
"To this day, Julie remains the fiercest competitor the Track & Field program has ever seen," says director Brian Chabot. "The high jump apron was her office, and she was all business once she stepped foot on it. She raised her level when the stakes got higher, often setting personal bests/school records at the championship meets."
Julie was a known commodity on the national stage, qualifying for five NCAA Championships. At the regional and conference level, she dominated, winning both the Division III New England Championship and NEWMAC title in high jump three times. She also claimed an ECAC Championship, and was a yearly recipient of All-New England, All-ECAC, and All-NEWMAC accolades.
"Julie would take every jump in practice, warmups, and competitions with the same focus despite any injuries and no matter location—nationals or dual meet," recalls fellow multi-time All-America high jumper Laura Pumphrey. "This encouraged her teammates around her to be dedicated to improving at every practice, no matter the drill or the weather. It formed the WPI high jump squad, a force to be reckoned with!"
In addition to her prowess in the high jump, she won the Ultimate Frisbee World Championship in 2013 as a member of Team USA.
On the academic side, she was twice an Academic All-American, and a First Team honoree in the 2013-14 academic year. She was NEWMAC Academic All-District and USTFCCCA All-Academic in each of her four seasons.
Julie earned a BS in mechanical engineering with a concentration in thermal fluids in 2013 and an MS in 2014. She then joined Trane Technologies as a product development engineer and is now the manager of AC and HP engineering for the residential HVAC business. In 2020, she was recognized as an Emerging Leader (30 under 30) for the Manufacturing STEP Awards. She serves on the board of directors for United Way in Tyler, Texas, where she and her husband, Brandon, are raising two vibrant and curious girls.
