MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University distance runner Kaitlyn Gillespie capped her career by competing in the 10,000-meter run at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field on Thursday evening.

 

"I'm so very proud of Katie's entire year," said WVU coach Sean Cleary. "Big 12 Champion, All-American in cross country and All-American in track, which is simply outstanding. Katie joins a very small group of athletes that has garnered All-America honors in both. What's so impressive to me is that Katie contracted a very serious cold over the last few days that settled in her chest. Never one to make excuses, Katie simply put herself in the lead pack tonight and refused to drop. Our hope was that the speed of the race was a little quicker from the gun to strong out the field, but temperatures that settled above 80 degrees in the stands and 90 degrees on the track surface prevented such a temp. All in all she leave Eugene knowing she established herself as one of the best long distance runners in the country and within our program's history. Katie will be missed very much but will carry a piece of the blue and gold with her as she embarks on a professional career."

 

Gillespie took ninth place overall, finishing one spot ahead of defending national champion Emma Bates of Boise State and crossing the finish line in a time of 33:44.08 for a new personal best and the second-fastest time in program history.

 

"The racing conditions were so average tonight that only three people set personal bests," said Cleary. 

 

Her finish earned her second team All-America honors, marking the fourth time in her career she has achieved the feat. Gillespie previously garnered All-America accolades in cross country.

 

Gillespie won the 10,000-meter title at the 2015 Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championship in a time of 33:45.56. The mark put her seventh in the East Region, earning her a spot at the 2015 NCAA East Region Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of May. Gillespie went on to take fifth in 33:56.69, earning her spot in the finals in Eugene as one of the top-12 finishers.

 

Molly Seidel of Notre Dame was the 2015 NCAA National Champion in the 10,000m, clocking in at 33:18.37