June 1, 2001
EUGENE, Ore. - Oregon native Kelly MacDonald captured third-place in the women's 3000m steeplechase final with a personal-best time of 9:55.87, highlighting day three of competition for Arizona State in the 2001 NCAA Track and Field Championships at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field in Eugene Friday evening.
MacDonald, earning All-America honors in the inaugural NCAA women's steeplechase, surpassed the previous American record time of 9:57.20, but it was the woman who held that record, BYU's Elizabeth Jackson, who won this year's NCAA title with a new American record, 9:49.73. MacDonald improved her previous school-record time by nearly eight seconds.
"I wanted to run between 9:50 and 9:55 so I'm happy," MacDonald said. "When I look back to the last two laps I wish I could have cut the gap more with the front pack but it's hard to say that now. I have to be happy with what I did. Today at the starting line I was trying to tell myself it would come down to mental toughness, rather than physical toughness. I knew that if it came down to the end I would have to be very poised and very focused if I was going to finish near the front."
With her third-place finish in the steeplechase Friday, MacDonald earned her first outdoor All-America honors after claiming two-straight All-America honors in the indoor 5000m. The 2001 women's steeplechase Pac-10 Champion, she is also one of three female cross country All-Americans in ASU history.
A native of Tualatin, Ore., MacDonald was greeted by a rousing ovation from the Oregon fans when presented her third-place trophy on the award's podium. She competed in typical Northwest weather conditions, cool and cloudy.
But the steeplechase is not MacDonald's final race on the track as a collegiate runner representing ASU. For the first time in her career she will compete in double events at the NCAA Championships, vying for All-America honors in the women's 5000m tomorrow at 7 p.m.
"Now that today is over with I'm going to focus on the 5000m," MacDonald said. "Right now I'm going to enjoy this (steeplechase performance) a little bit longer, but I'm excited for tomorrow and ready to focus on that."
The only other Sun Devil competing Friday was senior Marcus Brunson, placing second in his 100m semifinal heat with a time of 10.28 and advancing to tomorrow's final. Yesterday in the 100m preliminary, Brunson matched his personal best and school-record time of 10.10.
In addition to the 100m final at 5:50 p.m., Brunson will have a busy day Saturday, also vying for national titles in the 200m final at 6:35 p.m. and as a member of the men's 4x400-meter relay team at 7:40 p.m.
After the third day of NCAA competition, ASU's women stand in 10th place with 12 points and the men are in an eight-way tie for 43rd with 3 points.
Tomorrow's conclusion of the 2001 NCAA Track and Field Championships will include ASU competitors in five event finals. In addition to the men's 4x400 relay team and Brunson's 100m and 200m finals, Oregon native David Wood will compete in the men's shot put at 6 p.m. and MacDonald will compete in the women's 5000m at 7 p.m.