In a fitting end to their collegiate careers with the Simon Fraser University Clan, a trio of track athletes went out with a bang, posting All-American results at Saturday’s NCAA Div. 2 outdoor track and field championships in Kingsville, Tx.
Julia Howley, Alana Mussatto and Sophie Dodd each collected All-American honours in their final appearance wearing SFU colours.
Howley completed a standout career on Burnaby Mountain by finishing third overall in the 3000-metre steeplechase on Friday, and followed that with a fourth-place result in the 5000m, in 17:22.23.
“I just wanted to stay in contact with the leaders the whole time but I didn’t want to take it out. I tried to focus on the hurdles through the earlier part of the race to distract me from what was going on, and get through the water barriers really well,” she told a reporter following Friday’s bronze finish. “But having my thoughts focused throughout the race I was just ready to move when the leaders went.”
She completed the hurdles in 10:27.05, just a shade over three seconds back of winner Alicja Konieczek of Western Colorado. Howley, who was SFU’s 2018 Lorne Davies Athlete of the Year recipient after leading the program to 10th place at the 2017 cross country nationals, garnered the lead briefly at the 2200m-mark but Konieczek pour it on over the final 800m.
She entered the final on the strength of the second-fastest qualifying time.
“I felt like I had a little bit of unfinished business in track and field, so I really wanted to make sure I got everything out of my last year on the NCAA that I wanted to. Obviously finishing All-American and especially top-three was something I really really wanted for a long time,” added the St. Johns, Newfoundland native.
Howley threatened for another top-three finish in the 5000m on Saturday, maintaining a spot with the front-leading pack through much of the race and ran the second quickest time in the final lap to clinch her second All-American honour.
Mussatto and Dodd were in competition in the women’s 800m on Saturday.
A North Vancouver native, Mussatto used a strong opening 400m to finish sixth with a time of 2:11.38, while Dodd, of Vancouver, ended in eighth at 2:15.37. For both, it was a first-time All-American result in an individual event.
Miryam Bassett entered the final of the 1500m after posting the seventh fastest time in the preliminaries. The final was a tactical battle between the 12 runners with Bassett running on the outside. Bassett ended up in 11th with a time of 4:42.81.
Lauren Fridman threw a mark of 38.30m in her first of three javelin attempts to place 22nd.
“I'm especially proud of our seniors for what they have accomplished this weekend and throughout their SFU careers. They came into this meet with the goal of becoming All-Americans and many of them achieved that,” remarked SFU coach Brit Townsend.
