SU Speeds through First Outdoor Week
3/31/2009 11:09:37 AM | Track and Field
Men's Outdoor Marks | Women's Outdoor Marks
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The track & field team made a seamless transition from the indoor to outdoor season as the Orange issued a statement in its first week of competition.
Senior Kyle Heath, SU record holder in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (8:38.03), was pitted against the nation's elite at the Stanford Invitational last weekend. In Heath's first steeplechase test of the season, the Farmington, N.Y. native elicited the fastest collegiate time in the country of 8:40.89 for second place. Heath's NCAA Regional-qualifying mark was only 3.55 seconds behind a sponsored, professional runner (8:37.34).
"Kyle (Heath) is one of the top steeplechasers in the country," head coach Chris Fox said. "His time should hold up for a while the rest of the outdoor season and I'm proud of the performance he put on against the country's top competition."
Heath's feat wasn't the only notable accomplishment of the outdoor opener. Sophomores Catherine DeSarle and Katie Hursey both eclipsed Nana Sang-Bender's two-year old record (16:52.61) in the 5,000-meter run with times of 16:44.61 and 16:46.93, respectively. DeSarle and Hursey finished up in third and fourth place with their NCAA Regional-qualifying times.
Additionally, Syracuse graduate assistant distance coach Maureen McCandless beat out 20 other distance runners in the section 1 grouping of the women's 5,000-meter run in 15:34.31. Her time is currently the fastest outdoor 5K time in the world in 2009. McCandless ran for her sponsor, New Balance, on March 27 at the Cobb Track & Angell Field as part of the Stanford Relays.
Syracuse continues with its outdoor season in the Garden State on April 3-4 at the Princeton Sam Howell Invitational starting on Friday.
