Harrison Wins 10K
May 26, 2011 10:14 PM | General
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University senior Kate Harrison won the 10,000-meter run with a personal-best time of 33:48.64 this evening on the first day of competition at the 2011 NCAA Track and Field East Regional Championships, in Bloomington, Ind.
Harrison, along with juniors Sarah-Anne Brault, also in the 10,000-meter run, and Meghan Mock in the long jump, all punched their tickets today to the 2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships, to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, June 8-11.
“We had an excellent day here in Indiana, and I am so proud of so many performances,” says Mountaineer coach Sean Cleary. “Kate Harrison winning the 10,000-meters – wow!”
Harrison’s victory tonight is the second straight for the Toronto, Ontario, native, as she won the BIG EAST title on May 7 with a time of 33:59.84. Brault, a Winnipeg, Manitboa , native, crossed the finish line right behind Harrison with a personal-best time of 33:51.14.
In total, four personal-best times were achieved in the 10,000-meter run this evening, the final women’s race of the day. Freshman Kaitlyn Gillespie finished 20th overall with a time of 34:10.60, while redshirt senior Ahna Lewis placed 26th with a time of 34:29.71.
“All four girls ran big personal bests in the 10k,” Cleary says. “Both Sarah and Kaitlyn were fantastic.”
Mock advances to the national championships after finishing 11th today in the long jump with a distance of 6.07 meters. The Berkley Springs, W.Va., native recently finished in eighth place at the conference championships (5.81 meters).
Senior Chelsea Carrier joined Mock in the long jump today and finished in 38th place with a distance of 5.66 meters.
“Megan showed tremendous poise today after a frustrating BIG EAST meet to earn her first trip to the national finals,” says Cleary. “She nailed it. Also, we are in no way worried about Chelsea. This is her first bad day in two years, and the result is already behind us.”
Seniors April Rotilio and Keri Bland both live to fight another day, as they advanced to the 400-meter and 1,500-meter quarterfinals, respectively.
Rotilio, the 400-meter BIG EAST champion, finished second in her heat, 10th overall, with a time of 54.4. The Bellaire, Ohio, native will run in the quarterfinals tomorrow evening.
Bland, a Fairview, W.Va., native, advances after finishing 10th today with a time of 4:22.9, an improvement over her sixth-place time of 4:27.58 at the BIG EAST Championships. She will run in the quarterfinals Saturday evening.
“April and Keri did exactly what they needed to do today,” says Cleary. “They looked good out there, and we hope to have a few more national qualifiers before this meet is over.”
Redshirt senior Kaylyn Christopher also ran the 1,500-meter today and finished 41st with a time of 4:36.04.
The regional championships continue tomorrow. In addition to the 400-meter quarterfinals, Katelyn Williams and Sydney Cummings will compete in the high jump, while Carrier and Chené Townsend will run in the 100-meter hurdles.
Harrison, along with juniors Sarah-Anne Brault, also in the 10,000-meter run, and Meghan Mock in the long jump, all punched their tickets today to the 2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships, to be held in Des Moines, Iowa, June 8-11.
“We had an excellent day here in Indiana, and I am so proud of so many performances,” says Mountaineer coach Sean Cleary. “Kate Harrison winning the 10,000-meters – wow!”
Harrison’s victory tonight is the second straight for the Toronto, Ontario, native, as she won the BIG EAST title on May 7 with a time of 33:59.84. Brault, a Winnipeg, Manitboa , native, crossed the finish line right behind Harrison with a personal-best time of 33:51.14.
In total, four personal-best times were achieved in the 10,000-meter run this evening, the final women’s race of the day. Freshman Kaitlyn Gillespie finished 20th overall with a time of 34:10.60, while redshirt senior Ahna Lewis placed 26th with a time of 34:29.71.
“All four girls ran big personal bests in the 10k,” Cleary says. “Both Sarah and Kaitlyn were fantastic.”
Mock advances to the national championships after finishing 11th today in the long jump with a distance of 6.07 meters. The Berkley Springs, W.Va., native recently finished in eighth place at the conference championships (5.81 meters).
Senior Chelsea Carrier joined Mock in the long jump today and finished in 38th place with a distance of 5.66 meters.
“Megan showed tremendous poise today after a frustrating BIG EAST meet to earn her first trip to the national finals,” says Cleary. “She nailed it. Also, we are in no way worried about Chelsea. This is her first bad day in two years, and the result is already behind us.”
Seniors April Rotilio and Keri Bland both live to fight another day, as they advanced to the 400-meter and 1,500-meter quarterfinals, respectively.
Rotilio, the 400-meter BIG EAST champion, finished second in her heat, 10th overall, with a time of 54.4. The Bellaire, Ohio, native will run in the quarterfinals tomorrow evening.
Bland, a Fairview, W.Va., native, advances after finishing 10th today with a time of 4:22.9, an improvement over her sixth-place time of 4:27.58 at the BIG EAST Championships. She will run in the quarterfinals Saturday evening.
“April and Keri did exactly what they needed to do today,” says Cleary. “They looked good out there, and we hope to have a few more national qualifiers before this meet is over.”
Redshirt senior Kaylyn Christopher also ran the 1,500-meter today and finished 41st with a time of 4:36.04.
The regional championships continue tomorrow. In addition to the 400-meter quarterfinals, Katelyn Williams and Sydney Cummings will compete in the high jump, while Carrier and Chené Townsend will run in the 100-meter hurdles.
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