Katelyn Tuohy, a North Carolina State University athlete ran to an impressive win at the NCAA Championships in the 5000m event.
It is the first NCAA title for the Wolfpack athlete. She clocked a finish time of 15:18.39. Florida’s States’ Parker Valby, finished second in a new personal best time of 15:20.10. Taylor Roe of Oklahoma State finished in third place with a 15:24.41 time.
With four laps remaining, Tuohy, Mercy Chelangat of Alabama, Roe, Valby, and Abby Nichols of Colorado created a gap on the field. On the back straight of the eighth lap, Valby moved into the lead and ran approximately 2:23 for the next 800 metres or so. But, with 800m to go Nichols began to fade.
Valby also began to pay for the faster previous two laps. With 600m remaining, Tuohy took over the lead. Valby was done. Tuohy ran the final two laps in 69.18 and 69.31.
Tuohy owns a best of 15:14.61, which she set in April in Charleston. A month later, the 20-year-old set a PB of 4:06.84 in the 1500m event in Durham.
As a rookie in 2017–2018, she won both the Gatorade Female Cross Country Player of the Year award and the Gatorade Female Track & Field Player of the Year award. She is the first athlete to earn both awards. She went on to win the Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year award.
In October 2018, she was honoured as the Track and Field News High School Girls Athlete Of The Year. The native of New York has won many awards since.
| Pl | Athlete | Time | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Katelyn TUOHY NC State [SO] | 15:18.39 | |||||||
| 2 |  | Parker VALBY Florida [FR] | 15:20.10 | PB | ||||||
| 3 |  | Taylor ROE Oklahoma State [SO] | 15:24.41 | |||||||
| 4 |  | Mercy CHELANGAT Alabama [JR] | 15:24.54 | |||||||
| 5 |  | Lauren GREGORY Arkansas [JR] | 15:28.33 | |||||||
| 6 |  | Abby NICHOLS Colorado [SR] | 15:33.09 | |||||||
| 7 |  | Gracelyn LARKIN New Mexico [SO] | 15:33.10 | |||||||
| 8 | | Isabel VAN CAMP Arkansas [SO] | 15:35.64 | PB | ||||||
| 9 | | Marlee STARLIPER NC State [FR] | 15:36.51 | PB | ||||||
| 10 | | Samantha BUSH NC State [JR] | 15:42.61 | |||||||
| 11 | | Hannah STEELMAN NC State [SR] | 15:43.45 | |||||||
| 12 |  | Cara WOOLNOUGH Utah [JR] | 15:45.26 | |||||||
| 13 |  | Sydney SEYMOUR Tennessee [JR] | 15:51.50 | |||||||
| 14 | | Emily COVERT Colorado [FR] | 15:52.99 | |||||||
| 15 |  | Lucy JENKS Stanford [SO] | 15:55.19 | |||||||
| 16 | | Amelia MAZZA-DOWNIE New Mexico [SO] | 15:58.39 | SB | ||||||
| 17 | | Amaris TYYNISMAA Alabama [SO] | 15:59.08 | |||||||
| 18 | | Emma HECKEL New Mexico [FR] | 16:01.51 | |||||||
| 19 |  | Eusila CHEPKEMEI Mid. Tenn. State [SR] | 16:01.65 | |||||||
| 20 | | Savannah SHAW NC State [JR] | 16:02.32 | |||||||
| 21 |  | Nicole FEGANS Georgia Tech [SR] | 16:05.64 | |||||||
| 22 |  | Bethany HASZ Minnesota [SR] | 16:12.58 | |||||||
| 23 | | India JOHNSON Colorado [JR] | 16:16.09 | |||||||
 | Elizabeth MANCINI La Salle [JR] | DNF |
