Complete results
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Jana Soethout, San Francisco senior, closed the first day of competition at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships by gliding around the track in the 10,000 meters and advancing to her second-straight NCAA Championship Finals.
Soethout led the second half of the race before securing her ticket to Eugene, Ore., with a fifth-place finish and a time of 34:09.69. With the top 12 finishers advancing to the finals, Soethout earns her place in the field to vie for a national title. Teammate Maor Tiyouri, also slated to compete in the 5,000 meters, opened strong before clocking in at 35:24.62 to take 25th.
"Jana looked incredible this evening and ran a very controlled and relaxed race," head coach Helen Lehman-Winters said. "The goal for this race was to simply advance to the final and she did this easily. She has much more in her for the finals and will be returning to the NCAA Championship final with much more experience and confidence.
"Maor put herself in the race early and perhaps asserted herself a bit too much which cost her in the later stages of the race. I am pleased with the competitive mentality she brought to the race and she will return to competition on Saturday in the 5k and make a few tactical corrections and be ready to roll."
Jose Madera, one of two USF men to earn the right to run at John McDonnell Field, also competed at the 10,000 meter distance. His time of 31:34.25 was good for 38th as the redshirt junior from Anaheim, Calif., took part in his second championship semifinal.
Hillary Harris, a junior from Hillsboro, Ore., tasted her first NCAA competition in the 800 meters. She completed the circuit in 2:11.39 to stand in sixth in her heat, and 39th overall, missing the finish needed to advance to the quarterfinals.
Sophie Curl closes her collegiate track career as a four-time NCAA Preliminary Championship qualifier, and a 2012 NCAA finalist in the 1,500 meters. Nursing injury for the better part of the season, Curl took to the track for just the fifth time of the season, and the first since April 5.
After opening in fifth after the first lap and edging into the top four by the midpoint of the race, Curl faded at the end, unable to maintain enough speed to advance to the quarterfinals in the event. Her time of 4:36.87 was 12th in her heat in the opening round of the preliminaries.
"I am so proud of how well Sophie competed this evening," Lehman-Winters said. "She has only run on land a couple times in the past six weeks and she put herself right in the mix of it for the majority of the race, but she just did not have the ability to kick the last 300 meters.
"She has worked so hard and I have been so impressed with how she has managed herself over the past six weeks, and it is unfortunate that her career as a Don had to come up short. I cannot express in words how much she has contributed to our program over the past five years and her presence as a competitor and leader will be greatly missed. However I do believe she has a bright post-collegiate career ahead of her and no matter what she will always be a Don."
USF will have one competitor in action Friday, as redshirt senior Eva Krchova competes in the 3,000 meter steeplechase.
USF Results:
800 Meters
39. Hillary Harris – 2:11.39
1,500 Meters
48. Sophie Curl – 4:36.87
10,000 Meters (M)
38. Jose Madera – 31:34.25
10,000 Meters (W)
5. Jana Soethout – 34:09.69
25. Maor Tiyouri – 35:24.62
