LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Wildcats will take aim at NCAA qualifying times on Saturday at the 2017 Occidental Invitational, hosted on Bill Henry Track at Jack Kemp Stadium.
Oxy Invitational Meet Program
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Jack Kemp Stadium
At 3:10 p.m. PT, junior Sara Coffey and first-year Kelly O'Brien will compete in the 1500M event. Junior Isabel Seidel set the school record in the 3000M steeplechase two weeks ago at the Virginia Challenge, and will look to top that near 8:05 p.m. PT in Section 1 of the event against runners from BYU, San Diego and Rice, among others.
Beginning at approximately 9:15 p.m. PT, the 5000M event will include a host of 'Cats, including seniors Elena Miller and Jena Pianin, juniors Brooke Pigneri and Haley Albers, and rookies Aubrey Roberts and Sarah Nicholson. Nicholson, Pianin and Roberts will represent Northwestern in the fastest heat of the competition.
"We head to our last regular-season competition aiming for new personal records throughout the team across multiple distances," said head coach 'AHavahla Haynes. "Our goals this weekend are to execute race plans while being competitive within the front quarter of our races. This competition should set us up to achieve the overarching goal to capitalize on fast times while propelling members into the top-48 and on to the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary later this month in Austin, Texas."
Haynes' squad currently boasts three student-athletes in the Top-90 in the nation in their respecitve events, and within striking distance of NCAA qualifying times. O'Brien is less than four seconds outside the Top-48 with her current season best of 4:26.56 in the 1500. Classmate Nicholson owns the No. 68 5000M time of the season, a 16:29.37, 12-seconds outside the Top-28. Seidel's school-record 10:33.30 in the 3000M Steeplechase is the No. 52 time in the nation this year, exactly one second off the 48th spot (10:32.30).
The Wildcats will not learn their NCAA fate until later this month when the entire regular-season is completed.
Oxy Invitational Meet Program
WATCH LIVE (via Flotrack)
Jack Kemp Stadium
At 3:10 p.m. PT, junior Sara Coffey and first-year Kelly O'Brien will compete in the 1500M event. Junior Isabel Seidel set the school record in the 3000M steeplechase two weeks ago at the Virginia Challenge, and will look to top that near 8:05 p.m. PT in Section 1 of the event against runners from BYU, San Diego and Rice, among others.
Beginning at approximately 9:15 p.m. PT, the 5000M event will include a host of 'Cats, including seniors Elena Miller and Jena Pianin, juniors Brooke Pigneri and Haley Albers, and rookies Aubrey Roberts and Sarah Nicholson. Nicholson, Pianin and Roberts will represent Northwestern in the fastest heat of the competition.
"We head to our last regular-season competition aiming for new personal records throughout the team across multiple distances," said head coach 'AHavahla Haynes. "Our goals this weekend are to execute race plans while being competitive within the front quarter of our races. This competition should set us up to achieve the overarching goal to capitalize on fast times while propelling members into the top-48 and on to the 2017 NCAA West Preliminary later this month in Austin, Texas."
Haynes' squad currently boasts three student-athletes in the Top-90 in the nation in their respecitve events, and within striking distance of NCAA qualifying times. O'Brien is less than four seconds outside the Top-48 with her current season best of 4:26.56 in the 1500. Classmate Nicholson owns the No. 68 5000M time of the season, a 16:29.37, 12-seconds outside the Top-28. Seidel's school-record 10:33.30 in the 3000M Steeplechase is the No. 52 time in the nation this year, exactly one second off the 48th spot (10:32.30).
The Wildcats will not learn their NCAA fate until later this month when the entire regular-season is completed.