Woodinville's Olivia Markezich wins NCAA steeplechase title...
AUSTIN, Texas--Woodinville native Olivia Markezich (Paul Merca photo) of Notre Dame took command of the race with under a lap to go to win her first NCAA 3000 meter steeplechase as the NCAA Division I Track & Field Championships concluded Saturday night at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas.
From the gun, Markezich, a junior who qualified as a freshman for the 2021 US Olympic Track & Field Trials, sat behind Cal Baptist's Greta Karinauskaite, as the duo broke away from the rest of the field early,
The graduate of Bear Creek HS was content to let Karinauskaite push the pace through the penultimate lap, before taking command for good.
On the last lap, Markezich ran 73.83 to cross the line in 9:25.03, a new personal best and a stadium record. She immediately ran towards the stands to greet her parents Debbie and Ron, a former Notre Dame standout runner.
Oregon State's Kaylee Mitchell, a former Seattle Pacific All-American, finished seventh in 9:49.66, and Washington grad student Kayley DeLay, who finished second in this meet last year for Yale, was tenth in 9:56.63.
Coupled with Walla Walla native Kenneth Rooks' of Brigham Young University's win Friday night in the men's race, both NCAA steeplechase titles belong to Washington high school products from small schools (Rooks attended College Place).
In the 1500 meters, collegiate leader Sophie O'Sullivan of Washington was never a factor, finishing twelfth in 4:22.81, as Harvard sophomore Maia Ramsden won in 4:08.60.
The heptathlon saw Notre Dame's Alaina Brady, a Maple Valley native and graduate from Tahoma HS, finish twelfth with a final score of 5739 points, a personal best.
Brady started day 2 by jumping 19-4 (5.89m) in the long jump, then threw the javelin 131-0 (39.92m). She then finished her day with a time of 2:21:56 in the 800 meters.
Pippi Lotta Enok of Oklahoma won the heptathlon with a personal best 6165 points.
Texas was a runaway winner of the women's team competition, scoring 83 points, followed by Florida at , with Arkansas third at 46, two points ahead of Oregon in fourth.
Washington finished in a tie for 29th with 10.5 points, all coming in the pole vault.
NOTE: The NCAA, the sports information offices of the University of Texas, University of Washington, and the University of Notre Dame contributed to this report.
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