Sarah Pagano was the BIG EAST Outdoor Champion in the 10,000-meter run this season
Photo by: Stephen Parker
Women's Distance Runners Prep For NCAA's
5/22/2012 10:52:29 AM | Track and Field
Five seniors and two juniors will lead a pack of 10 Syracuse mid-distance and distance runners into the NCAA East Preliminary Round this weekend in Jacksonville, Fla. Katie Hursey will pilot five Orange student-athletes, the most of any school in the steeplechase, on Friday at 9:30 p.m.
Hursey is making her fourth straight appearance at the NCAA Regionals. She began competing in the 3000-meter steeplechase at NCAAs last season after running in the 5000-meter run during her first two years of outdoor eligibility. At last season's Regionals, the Hampstead, Md. native broke the SU record in the steeplechase to advance to the national finals, where she placed 14th overall to earn Second Team All-American status. Hursey took the bronze medal in the steeplechase at the BIG EAST Championship earlier this season with a season best time of 10:14.05, and also placed sixth in the 5000-meter run (16:42.61).
Hursey is joined by fellow senior Heather Stephens, who has the team's top time in the steeplechase this season. Stephens (Ridgefield, Conn.), a 2012 Doris Soladay Award nominee, finished fifth at the BIG EAST Championship in early May (10:17.99). In her first competition of the outdoor season, she ran a personal best time of 10:11.51 at the Stanford Invitational to qualify for postseason racing. Her time is 11th in the East heading into the weekend as Stephens prepares for her second straight NCAA East Preliminary appearance.
Natalie Busby (New Paltz, N.Y.) ranks 19th in the East with a season-best time of 10:16.68, a time she set at the BIG EAST Championships. The 2011 ECAC steeplechase champion, Busby ran in the same event at last season's regional, finishing ninth in the preliminaries.
Rebekah MacKay is making her second straight regional appearance after running a 10:25.12 time at the BIG EAST Championship, finishing seventh overall. The Whitinsville, Mass. native is 30th in the region in the steeplechase, and qualified for postseason competition at the Larry Ellis Invitational with a 10th place finish (10:34.66), while Erin Cawley (Newark Valley, N.Y.) is making her first-ever appearance at the Regionals are running a collegiate best time of 10:23.64 at the Stanford Invitational.
The 2012 BIG EAST Champion in the 10,000-meter run, Sarah Pagano is one of two Orange student-athletes slated to compete in the event this weekend. The junior ran a collegiate best time of 33:45.05 at the Stanford Invitational earlier this season to qualify for postseason racing, and ranks seventh in the region heading into the weekend. Pagano (Ringwood, N.J.) is making her second straight appearance at the NCAA Preliminary Round and is joined by freshman Jessie Petersen (Carlmont, Calif.), who finished second overall at the Penn Relays.
Lauren Penney (Succasunna, N.J.) is competing in her third NCAA East Regional in as many seasons, and second straight in the 5000-meter run. She holds the school record in the event (16:09.44), and ranks 19th in the region. She was named the Syracuse Female Athlete of the Year at the 2012 'Cuse Awards, and also has the team's fastest time in the 5000-meters this season (16:16.07 at the Larry Ellis Invitational). Brenna Symoniak (Amherst, N.Y.) will also run in the 5000-meters after finishing sixth overall at the ECAC Championship earlier this season (16:37.07). The 5000-meter run is set for Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
Sophomore Molly Malone (Fayetteville, N.Y.) has the Orange's top four 800-meter times this season, highlighted by an eighth place finish at the BIG EAST Championship (2:08.44). She set the school record in the indoor 800-meter run earlier in the season, and is one of eight BIG EAST representatives in the race, which is slated for Thursday at 8:35 p.m.
The top three finishers in each heat of the steeplechase, plus the next three fastest times will advance to the national semifinal in Des Moines, Iowa, while the top 12 finishers from the 10,000-meter run will advance to the national final. In the 5000-meters, the top five finishers per heat, plus the next two fastest times advance to Des Moines. Malone can reach the quarterfinals by finishing in the top three in her heat or by having one of the next nine quickest times.
Hursey is making her fourth straight appearance at the NCAA Regionals. She began competing in the 3000-meter steeplechase at NCAAs last season after running in the 5000-meter run during her first two years of outdoor eligibility. At last season's Regionals, the Hampstead, Md. native broke the SU record in the steeplechase to advance to the national finals, where she placed 14th overall to earn Second Team All-American status. Hursey took the bronze medal in the steeplechase at the BIG EAST Championship earlier this season with a season best time of 10:14.05, and also placed sixth in the 5000-meter run (16:42.61).
Hursey is joined by fellow senior Heather Stephens, who has the team's top time in the steeplechase this season. Stephens (Ridgefield, Conn.), a 2012 Doris Soladay Award nominee, finished fifth at the BIG EAST Championship in early May (10:17.99). In her first competition of the outdoor season, she ran a personal best time of 10:11.51 at the Stanford Invitational to qualify for postseason racing. Her time is 11th in the East heading into the weekend as Stephens prepares for her second straight NCAA East Preliminary appearance.
Natalie Busby (New Paltz, N.Y.) ranks 19th in the East with a season-best time of 10:16.68, a time she set at the BIG EAST Championships. The 2011 ECAC steeplechase champion, Busby ran in the same event at last season's regional, finishing ninth in the preliminaries.
Rebekah MacKay is making her second straight regional appearance after running a 10:25.12 time at the BIG EAST Championship, finishing seventh overall. The Whitinsville, Mass. native is 30th in the region in the steeplechase, and qualified for postseason competition at the Larry Ellis Invitational with a 10th place finish (10:34.66), while Erin Cawley (Newark Valley, N.Y.) is making her first-ever appearance at the Regionals are running a collegiate best time of 10:23.64 at the Stanford Invitational.
The 2012 BIG EAST Champion in the 10,000-meter run, Sarah Pagano is one of two Orange student-athletes slated to compete in the event this weekend. The junior ran a collegiate best time of 33:45.05 at the Stanford Invitational earlier this season to qualify for postseason racing, and ranks seventh in the region heading into the weekend. Pagano (Ringwood, N.J.) is making her second straight appearance at the NCAA Preliminary Round and is joined by freshman Jessie Petersen (Carlmont, Calif.), who finished second overall at the Penn Relays.
Lauren Penney (Succasunna, N.J.) is competing in her third NCAA East Regional in as many seasons, and second straight in the 5000-meter run. She holds the school record in the event (16:09.44), and ranks 19th in the region. She was named the Syracuse Female Athlete of the Year at the 2012 'Cuse Awards, and also has the team's fastest time in the 5000-meters this season (16:16.07 at the Larry Ellis Invitational). Brenna Symoniak (Amherst, N.Y.) will also run in the 5000-meters after finishing sixth overall at the ECAC Championship earlier this season (16:37.07). The 5000-meter run is set for Saturday at 8:45 p.m.
Sophomore Molly Malone (Fayetteville, N.Y.) has the Orange's top four 800-meter times this season, highlighted by an eighth place finish at the BIG EAST Championship (2:08.44). She set the school record in the indoor 800-meter run earlier in the season, and is one of eight BIG EAST representatives in the race, which is slated for Thursday at 8:35 p.m.
The top three finishers in each heat of the steeplechase, plus the next three fastest times will advance to the national semifinal in Des Moines, Iowa, while the top 12 finishers from the 10,000-meter run will advance to the national final. In the 5000-meters, the top five finishers per heat, plus the next two fastest times advance to Des Moines. Malone can reach the quarterfinals by finishing in the top three in her heat or by having one of the next nine quickest times.
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