Stewart Runs 5K at NCAA East Preliminary

Thursday, May 28

Jacksonville, Fla.

All Day

James Madison University

NCAA Preliminary Rounds

5/30/2015 9:51:00 PM | Track & Field

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – James Madison's third and final entrant in the 2015 NCAA Track and Field East Preliminary, junior Kathleen Stewart, competed Saturday night in the 5,000-meter run in the meet held at North Florida's Hodges Stadium.

"Kathleen competed very well," Head Coach Cheree Hicks said. "That was her second-fastest time in this event. Coming off a huge PR at the conference meet, that was a good second mark for her. It gives us great hope for the future."

Running in her first NCAA track and field event, Stewart placed 37^th overall in a time of 16:52.05. Her time placed her 18^th in the first of two heats in the event.

Stewart qualified for the NCAA meet with her second-place finish at the CAA Championships at William and Mary with a personal-record mark of 16:21.41.

Stewart joined sophomores Kennedy King and Ebony Owusu-Sampah as NCAA participants for JMU this year. In the long jump on Friday evening, King+ placed 38^th and Owusu-Sampah 46^th.

For the three Dukes who qualified for Jacksonville, it proved to be a valuable experience for a young squad that returns many of its key pieces for next year. Hicks said, "It resonates with the young ladies who came here to know that they are among the best in the country."