DURHAM, N.H. --- Senior Nicole
Mauro (Mashpee, MA) clocked a time of 17:19.26 in the
5,000 meter run to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Division III
Outdoor Championships in the first day of the New England
Intercollegiate Amateur Athletic Association (NEICAAA) meet hosted
by the University of New Hampshire.
Mauro finished in ninth place in the event, beat the qualifying
standard of 17:35.00 and stands a good chance of punching her
ticket to the championships which will be held at the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh in two weeks. Mauro shaved one minute and
forty seconds off of her previous season best when she captured the
New England Alliance Title in the 5,000 meter run (18:49.97) just
two weeks ago.
If Mauro’s time is good enough to qualify, she will become
the first athlete in the history of Bridgewater State to compete at
the NCAA Division III Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor
Championships in the same season. Mauro finished in 135th out of
the 280 competitors at the 6k course St. Olaf, Minnesota and in
11th at the Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meter run at Ohio
Northern.
Mauro’s time was only ten seconds off of the school record
that was set by Debbie Mueller in 1982
(17:09.2).
In the preliminary round of the 400 meter hurdles, senior
Rachael Smith (Somerset, MA) earned a trip to the
finals, which will be held at 3 o’clock today. With a time of
1:03.63, Smith eclipsed her season-best standard from last
week’s race at the New England Division III Regionals. Smith
has also set the school record in the event for the second time
this season.
Release written by Steven M Miller, Jr --- Sports Information Correspondent