Complete results |
Video Highlights
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Putting together what head coach
Helen Lehman-Winters called their best top-to-bottom team performance, the San Francisco contingent competed at the NCAA West Regionals at Haggin Oaks GC Friday.
Racing out front from the start, the 17th-ranked Dons earned fourth in the team standings, tallying 140 team points. Each of USF's seven runners finished in the top quarter of the 225-woman field as the Dons were separated by 43 seconds.
"I'm extremely pleased with how our women ran today, and the fact that we can have so many people step up in championship races is phenomenal," Lehman-Winters said. "Obviously, we wanted to finish as high as we could today and do a good job to get out of the region and get to the national championships. I think it was a true team effort and the best performance from the entire lineup of the season."
The 17th-ranked Dons were paced by West Coast Conference individual champion
Bridget Dahlberg, who finished the 6,000 meter course in 20:11, the fastest 6K time turned in by a USF student-athlete this season. In fact, the top three finishers at the West Regional bested the previous season-best mark of 20:24.
Dahlberg was chasing teammate
Kate Jamboretz to the finish, after being passed by the junior from Boise, Idaho. Dahlberg used a final kick to overtake Jamboretz and slide into 21st overall, with her teammate right behind in 22nd.
"I really feel like we all can run together," Dahlberg said after the finish. "We do it every day at practice, so when Kate passed me it was kind of a wake-up call to myself that I could do it, and then I just wanted to finish hard. She gave me that push at the end which is what I needed, and that's what teammates are for."
Right behind the duo was sophomore
Elena Burkard, whose time of 20:13 was good for 24th place in the individual standings. Upperclassmen
Eva Krchova and
Maor Tiyouri rounded out the Dons' scorers in the meet.
"We always have a different combination at the finish, and I think that just shows how deep we are and how good we are," Dahlberg said. "I think that's the best way you can go into nationals. We all can do what we need to do, and I think that's a really good way to go in.
"There's a running phrase – "the hay's in the barn – we've been working since summer training and there's really nothing more we can do. We put it all on the line today and we're ready for nationals. This is what we've worked for."
Two teams in the Region were awarded automatic qualification to the NCAA Nationals, No. 1 Arizona and No. 18 Stanford.
The Dons will receive confirmation on their presumed at-large bid tomorrow, as the championship field is completed. If USF gets the nod, the Dons will put their toe on the line at the NCAA Championships Nov. 23, in Terra Haute, Ind.
"The West Region is so deep and so tough. We've been a team over the last five years that has demonstrated that we can compete at the NCAA Championships, but we've also come up short at this meet," Lehman-Winters noted. "I think we sat ourselves up nicely this year. We went to the right meets, we got the job done at Notre Dame and Wisconsin, and it took a lot of pressure off us coming into this meet. It just allowed us to run well, but save our biggest race for next weekend."
USF Results
21.
Bridget Dahlberg – 20:11
22.
Kate Jamboretz – 20:12
24.
Elena Burkard – 20:13
35.
Eva Krchova – 20:28
38.
Maor Tiyouri – 20:32
51.
Jana Soethout – 20:45
65.
Sophie Curl – 20:54
