Reigning NCAA Division 2 indoor 800 champion Cleyet-Merle looks to follow all-time mile effort with conference, national titles before pursuing World Outdoor Championships qualifier

By Mary Albl of DyeStat

Berenice Cleyet-Merle originally thought the opportunity was too good to be true. 

“I received a message on Facebook that said come study in America, and I thought it was a scam,” she said with a laugh. “I didn’t know it was possible, so I didn’t really reply.”

Cleyet-Merle, a middle-distance runner from Saint-Sulpice-des-Revoires, France, found out from a friend it was in fact a legitimate message and she should pursue the idea of studying and competing overseas. Now several years later, the 27-year-old Cleyet-Merle has taken that opportunity and continued to run with it.

In her final indoor track season for the University of Indianapolis, the graduate student-athlete holds the top NCAA Division 2 times in the mile (4:31.99) and 800 meters (2:03.89), along with ranking No. 4 in the 3,000 (9:26.77).

She’ll enter the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships on Feb. 26-27 at Athletics and Recreation Center in Indianapolis as one of the elite athletes in the meet, looking to guide the host Greyhounds to a team title.

As the defending indoor 800 national champion, Cleyet-Merle will then turn her attention to the NCAA Division 2 Championships on March 11-12 at Pittsburg State University in Kansas with another opportunity to see what she can achieve. 

“Berenice has really set the tone for what is possible,” UIndy head coach Brad Robinson said. “Without a doubt, she’s been a foundational piece that has helped elevate our program to the next level.”

As currently the oldest women’s runner in the NCAA, Cleyet-Merle picked up the sport in middle school because of the influence of her father, Michel Cleyet-Merle. 

“My dad was a runner and he’s very passionate,” she said. “He’ll now wake up at 3 a.m. to watch my races.” 

Cleyet-Merle attended Lycée Jules Haag – a school that placed an emphasis on track and field – where her schedule was arranged around training.

Following her graduation in 2014, she studied psychology for a year in France, before the opportunity to come to the U.S., specifically to Cal Baptist University in Riverside, Calif., presented itself. 

“I didn’t train much this year because college in France is way harder and classes are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a one-hour break every day except Sunday, which makes it hard to find time and energy to train,” she said. “When I heard about the possibility to come to the U.S. and how nice it was for athletics, I didn’t hesitate, and obviously I don’t regret it.”.

Arriving in the U.S. in 2015, Cleyet-Merle ran cross country and track for Cal Baptist from 2015-18. She advanced to the NCAA Division 2 Outdoor Championships in the 1,500 meters her sophomore, junior and senior years.

During her junior season, she placed fifth in the 1,500 and eighth in the 800 at the Division 2 outdoor nationals, earning All-American recognition. She also set school records in both events that spring, running 4:20.69 in the 1,500 and 2:07.73 for the 800.

But despite the accolades, she said the adjustment in more intense training and a competitive environment was challenging, at times. By the end of her senior outdoor season, she finished 17th in the 1,500 (4:31.73) at the Division 2 outdoor final. 

With an undergraduate degree complete, Cleyet-Merle took a year away from the sport to focus on herself.

The time away was another opportunity for Cleyet-Merle to gain a clear mind and focus on what she wanted to achieve. 

“I worked during the 2018-19 year and stopped running, and this is when I realized that running was a way bigger part in my life than I thought because I missed it a lot,” she said.

With outdoor eligibility still left and in pursuit of a Master’s degree in psychology, Cleyet-Merle looked into continuing her career at another university.

Wanting to be closer to her boyfriend, who was running for Butler, she made contact with UIndy.

Robinson said through some research on the Internet, he found out more about Cleyet-Merle and saw potential. He said they had to speed things up with international paperwork and applications to help Cleyet-Merle gain admission into the university, but thought they could make her a little faster and she was worth the risk. 

“For her, the year away from Cal Baptist kind of helped reestablish the excitement and passion for running, and what she really wanted out of it,” Robinson said. “She wanted to be a national champion.”

While Cleyet-Merle missed the first week of classes, she quickly settled into a home with the Greyhounds, working with Robinson that fall and winter to continue to help fuel her fire for running. 

During the 2020 season, which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cleyet-Merle claimed conference indoor titles in the 800 and mile.

With her eligibility extended by the NCAA as a result of the pandemic year without Division 2 indoor and outdoor championship meets, it allowed Cleyet-Merle more time to train with Robinson and continue to regain her confidence.

During the 2021 indoor season, battling through a severe sprained ankle she suffered in France over winter break, Cleyet-Merle focused solely on the 800, running a personal-best 2:07.43, finally able to capture the Division 2 national title she set out to win upon first arriving in the U.S. 

“He gave me my shot,” Cleyet-Merle said of working with Robinson. “He really trusts us and doesn’t put too much pressure. I know sometimes, pressure, it’s good, but I wasn’t really confident anymore because I didn’t have very good performances (at the end of my time at Cal Baptist). I was the first to be surprised to have a breakthrough. I was just more scared of keeping my times.”

Healthy and continuing to make progress, Cleyet-Merle ran unattached during the spring outdoor season at The American Track League meet in May, clocking a personal-best 4:11.81 in the 1,500.

Robinson said the confidence has just continued to blossom this winter in her final indoor season. So far this year, Cleyet-Merle has set school records in the 800 (2:03.89) and 3,000 (9:26.77). Her 800 time is ranked No. 8 among all collegiate competitors, regardless of division. 

“She’s very self-sufficient and self-driven,” Robinson said. 

With a goal to break the French all-time indoor mark Feb. 12 at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational at Boston University, Cleyet-Merle shattered her own school record in the mile, running 4:31.99 to finish ninth and eclipse the standard produced Feb. 4 by Stanford graduate Claudia Saunders (4:33.35) at the Dr. Sander Invitational Columbia Challenge at The Armory in New York.

Cleyet-Merle also set the all-time Division 2 record, surpassing an oversized track performance of 4:32.48 established in 2010 by Jessica Pixler of Seattle Pacific.

Her time ranks No. 3 this season among collegiate athletes from all divisions, in addition to elevating among the top 35 indoor mile performances in NCAA history.

Robinson said he wasn’t surprised by her performance, and selfishly he wanted Cleyet-Merle to beat all the Division 1 runners in the field. 

“I knew I could do it, but before I was stressed,” she said. “The week before I couldn’t sleep. I knew my goal was high, but then when I broke it, I felt so relieved. That French record meant even more.” 

While her times have been the best in program history for UIndy, as the veteran on the team, her influence has extended beyond the numbers. 

“Age has never been a problem older or younger,” she said. “I don’t really put myself as a leader, of course I give them (my teammates) advice, I do try and be as helpful as I can, and tell them what I do, and I hope they can do the same. Some of them say I inspire them, it makes them want to be better, and I really appreciate it. But I try not to be too much of a leader, I don’t think it fits me.”

A self-described extrovert who loves to travel, have fun, and seize every opportunity, Robinson explained it only took a few weeks for Cleyet-Merle’s personality to shine through and make an impact on the team. 

“I don't think Berenice has ever met a stranger,” he said with a laugh. “She’s a social butterfly. She doesn’t have a problem making friends on the team. She is more of a leader by example and she isn’t one to ever give a speech, that’s not her personality. But every day we come to practice, she will challenge everyone.”

With the potential to run four events at the conference meet in pursuit of the team title, Cleyet-Merle said the distance medley relay and mile are likely the two events for her final collegiate meet in March.

Cleyet-Merle said following the Division 2 Indoor Championships, she’ll continue to train with the team, focusing on finding spring races to compete as an unattached athlete, in order to chase global standards necessary to represent France in July at the World Outdoor Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. 

“Berenice has really set the tone for what is possible,” Robinson said. “She’s really raised the bar and standard of what it’s meant to run fast, and run hard.”