Nov 21, 2005

Keira Carlstrom Finishes Sixth at NCAA Championships, Earns Third All-American Award

Nov. 21, 2005

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Senior Keira Carlstrom (Oakton, Va./Oakton) saved her finest cross country performance for last on Monday afternoon, tearing down the final 500 meters to pass seven competitors and finish sixth overall at the NCAA Championships, earning the third All-American honor of her illustrious career. The men's team also competed, placing 30th overall in the team scoring, led by Brendan Fennell's (Pearl River, N.Y./Pearl River) 128th place finish.

Carlstrom was in the lead pack from the start, passing the mile in 5:12 and running through halfway in just under 10 minutes right in a pack of around 12 runners. Over the next half mile the race for first broke open when eventual winner Johanna Nilson put in a surge that carried her into the lead for good. Carlstrom stayed in a pack of eight a few seconds of the leader. As the race reached the final 1000 meters, the senior captain put the hammer down and in the final 500 meters passed seven racers, two in the final 25 meters to get sixth in 19:58. She ran the final 1000 meters in 3:04, just under five minute-mile pace. It was the highest finish ever for a Patriot League competitor at NCAA's.

The men's race took off at noon and AU put themselves in good position to do well from the start with the top-five all in the top-100 at the mile mark, reached in around 4:42. As the pack strung out because of the fast pace, American fell back and had trouble rebounding in the final 5K. Fennell led the charge in 128th in 31:15, followed by Steve Hallinan in 154th at 31:28.3.

Senior Pat Burford (Bellmore, N.Y./John F. Kennedy) was next in 185th AT 31:46 followed by Kevin Tschirhart (Northport, N.Y./Northport) in 194th and sophomore Awit Yohannes (Derwood, Md./Magruder) in 203rd to round the team scoring. Junior Conor Lanz (Valley Stream, N.Y./Valley Stream) finished 225th and senior Phil Turner (Reedsburg, Wis./Reedsburg Area) closed out his collegiate cross country career in 233rd at 32:26 for American.

Simon Bairu of Wisconsin won the individual title in 29:15 for the team champion Badgers.

American's distance contingent has a few weeks off before returning to competition at the Navy Invitational on Dec. 2.