April 24, 2014
PHILADELPHIA - The Georgetown women's track team took third place in the Championship of America Distance Medley Relay at the 120th Running of the Penn Relay Carnival on Thursday afternoon in front of a crowd of 21,422 at historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
All-American Andrea Keklak (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury/Princeton) led off for the Hoyas in the 1,200-meter leg, splitting 3:25.43, to hand off in third place. Keklak broke out as one of the best 800-METER RUNNERS in the country during the indoor season and transitioned well to the leadoff role, keeping the Hoyas in the top three.
No stranger to Franklin Field, All-American Amanda Kimbers (Baltimore, Md./McDonogh) - a member of GU's 2011 Penn Relays Championship DMR team - took over the 400-meter leg. The graduate student, in her final year of eligibility, split 53.52 over her stanza and made up some crucial seconds for the Blue & Gray, passing the baton in second place.
All-American Sabrina Southerland (New York, N.Y./Benjamin N. Cardozo) was in charge of the 800-meter leg. Competing in her first Penn Relays as a Hoya, Southerland showed maturity beyond her years over her first 400 meters. With Stanford's Claudia Saunders seemingly going out to quick, Southerland stayed steady as Saunders slowed down and even took the lead following her first lap. The second 400 meters would see the elite caliber of the field with Stanford and Villanova finding a way back to the front of the four-team lead pack as Southerland split 2:04.86.
All-American Rachel Schneider (Dover, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas) anchored the foursome on the critical 1,600-meter leg. Villanova, Stanford, Oregon and Georgetown stayed in a close pack through the first 800 meters but on the third lap, Stanford and Villanova started to extend the gap on the Hoyas and Ducks. Oregon's Laura Roesler seemed to lose steam on the bell lap as Schneider held off any last kick attempts from Roesler as well as Dartmouth's Abbey D'Agostino making a strong close effort. Schneider split 4:42.33 to solidify the third-place time of 11:06.14 for the Hoyas behind the 'Cats (10:57.35) and the Cardinal (10:57.64).
Just over one hour later Kimbers returned to the track to anchor the 4x400-meter heats. All-American Deseree King (Oxon Hill, Md./Oxon Hill) led off for the Hoyas and quickly set the tone of the fourth heat, taking a lead the Hoyas would never relinquish.
King handed off the baton with a 10-meter lead on the field as local favorite and All-American Chelsea Cox (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) took over the second stanza. Cox, a 400/800 runner, showed her expertise on what seems like a home track for the senior as she extended the lead for the Hoyas before handing the reigns to Becca DeLoache (Charlotte, N.C./Myers Park) for the third leg.
DeLoache continued to extend the lead before handing off to Kimbers, returning for her second 400 meters in less than 90 minutes. Though some thought Rutgers' Asha Ruth could close the gap, a poised Kimbers easily held the lead as Georgetown won its heat with a time of 3:44.37, good enough for 14th overall and qualifies the quartet for the ECAC section of the women's 4x400m final.
The Hoyas return to Franklin Field in Friday for the second day of the 120th Penn Relays.
