Ohio's Annie Beecham qualified for the NCAA Track and Field Championships with a third-place finish in the 10000 meters this evening from Indiana University. Beecham broke the all-time MAC mark and obliterated her personal-best time in the event by 18 seconds.

The senior from Granville, Ohio kept her collegiate career going by running the 10k in 33:50.22 and placing in the top 12, which automatically qualified her for the NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, June 8-11. Kate Harrison of West Virginia won the event with a time of 33:48.64, .03 seconds ahead of Georgia's Bridget Lyons

Beecham started this spring season by running 34:08.23 at the Stanford Invitational against a highly competitive field. At the conference championships, she finished second in the 10k and also won the 5k for the Bobcats. She currently owns the 10th fastest time in the 10000 meters in the East Region. Last year, Beecham finished second at the MAC Championships with a time of 35:33.66 in the 10k event.

As the East region is competing on and around Indiana's Robert C. Haugh Track and Field Complex, the West region will be participating in an identical competition in Eugene, Oregon. The top performers at both regionals will then travel to Des Moines, Iowa for the NCAA Championships on June 8-11.

Ohio’s Kari Summers will run tonight at 8:30pm in the 3000m Steeplechase to try to punch her ticket to the NCAA Championships.


Also, a new group has been updated on Facebook for all alumni of Ohio T&F and CC.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_126259757453993

18 seconds? Wow.

Wow, congratulations!

It's nice to have some individual success in Track & Field every couple years, but I sure wish the program would improve as a whole. It's disappointing to always be in the bottom of the MAC every year...not sure what the issue is here, I assume a lack of indoor facility plays a part.