ENDORSEMENTS

2015 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships

Eugene, Oregon

At the crack of the starter’s pistol for the women’s 5000 meter run, Providence’s Emily Sisson went right to work in her quest for her 2nd national collegiate title. As the Friar distance ace surged to the front, Arkansas athlete Dominique Scott tucked in behind along with Iona’s Kate Avery – last fall’s NCAA individual cross country champion – Stanford’s Jessica Tonn, Boston College’s Liv Westphal, and Michigan State’s Rachel Schulist.

For the first 9 laps, the 5 competitors who joined Sisson up front never challenged the reigning NCAA indoor 5000m champion for the lead as they clung onto the pacesetter’s metronome-like pace. With slightly more than 3 laps remaining, Sisson – who had kept the heat on throughout – began to tighten the screw. The inexorable pace change was more than the others could handle as Sisson pushed out to an 8 meter lead over Avery with 1200 meters remaining. Before long Sisson’s margin was 35 meters and growing. With 800 meters left, Sisson’s victory was all but assured as Tonn, Scott, and Avery – now joined my Michigan sophomore Erin Finn – battled to for the runner-up spot. With Sisson long gone, Scott had the chase pack lead with 400 meters remaining as the race for second was on. Unthreatened over the last circuit, Sisson [15:34.10] crossed line first for the crown. A big last lap by Scott [71.9] gave the Razorback the runner-up position in 15:40.47. Tonn finished third in 15:41.72. Avery [15:41.94], Finn []15:43.97], New Mexico’s Thackery [15:47.15]; and Arizona’s Shelby Houlihan [15:49.72] – rebounding from her tough, unsuccessful 1500m title defense earlier in the afternoon – followed.

After the race, the new champion – who revealed it was not her plan to lead wire-to-wire – detailed the opportunity she saw with just over 1200 meters remaining. “I could see in the [scoreboard] screen there were some people there in the pack. So I thought if I could pick it up just a touch, then maybe I could just break it open. So I picked it up just a little bit and there was that break,” the Providence athlete explained. “And I took advantage of it.”