Teams: Women's Track & Field: Press Releases

Monday, May 19, 2008

BECK, O'BRIEN & McNAMARA QUALIFY FOR NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS

MEDFORD -- Three members of the Tufts University women's outdoor track & field team will race in the 1,500-meter run at the NCAA Division 3 Championships later this week (May 22-24) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Senior co-captain Cat Beck (Brookline, NH), senior Katy O'Brien (North Easton, MA) and first-year Stephanie McNamara (North Attleborough, MA) are all among the 18 entries in the 1,500 meters, and Beck will also run in the 5,000 meters.

All three Jumbos ran their NCAA 1,500 qualifying times at the All-New England Championships hosted by the University of New Hampshire on May 10. Beck won the New England championship in the event with a 4:30.91 time, ranked third nationally entering the NCAA's. O'Brien was sixth in the 1,500 at All-New England's with a 4:35.18 finish that is seeded 11th in the national race. McNamara's time of 4:36.77 was 10th at the New England race and ranks 15th in the nation.

Beck is the second seed in the NCAA 5,000 meters after a school-record time of 16:41.97 ran at the Penn Relays. That time was behind only a 16:39.47 run by Keene State College's Jennifer Adams as the best for Division 3 in the country.

Beck will end up running in both events on Saturday (May 24). The trials for the 1,500 meters are on Thursday (May 22) at 4:15 CST. After no Tufts action on Friday (May 23), the finals for the 1,500 and a straight final in the 5K are both on Saturday (May 24), at 1:20 pm and 3:55 pm, respectively.

NCAA Track & Field Championships Website

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