JACKSONVILLE, FL – Iona College women’s track duo Rosie Clarke and Kate Avery advanced to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, OR in two weeks with their performances at the East Preliminaries Saturday.
Avery ran the second fastest time in the 5,000-meter semifinal, clocking a 15:45.59. She was five seconds behind Providence senior Emily Sisson. It was Avery’s second fastest time of the season in the 5k event following her NCAA qualifying time at the Stanford Invitational, an Iona record 15:25.63. She now holds the top five fastest times in the event in school history.
Avery advances to Eugene and competes in the 5k final on Saturday, Jun. 13 at 7:00 pm ET at legendary Heyward Field.
Clarke made a late move to secure top honors in the second heat of the 1,500-meter quarterfinal. Her time of 4:17.32 was .27 faster than Michigan junior Shannon Osika. It was also her second fastest time of the season, behind her school record and NCAA qualifying time of 4:12.10 at the Virginia Challenge.
The semifinal round for Clarke takes place on Thursday, Jun. 11 in Eugene at 7:14 pm ET. The final is slated for two days later (Jun. 13) at 5:15 pm ET.