JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Josette Norris (Tenafly, N.J. / Tenafly / North Carolina) ran an automatic-qualifying time in the women's 5,000-meter semifinals on Saturday night as the Hoyas closed the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Championships East Preliminary. The three-day meet held at Hodges Stadium on the campus of the University of North Florida serves as a precursor to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships, this year held in Austin, Texas and hosted by the University of Texas.
 
With her automatic qualifier, Norris advances to the finals in the event in Austin. She competed in the second of a two-heat semifinal and contended for the front of the pack through the bell lap. As the field thinned to just four in the lead, Norris held on with Alabama's Esther Gitahi as the duo went shoulder to shoulder. At the bell, the lead pack pressed and Norris coasted to a 16:07.42 finish for the third of the five automatic qualifiers. This will be Norris' first trip to the final site of the NCAA Outdoor Championships with the Hoyas.
 
"We knew coming into it that she was in the best shape of her career," Director of Track & Field / Cross Country Julie Culley said. "We knew she could handle any type of tactical race however it played out. Whether it was fast or slow or if it was going to be a slow build, we knew she was ready for it. It was incredible to see her go out and execute and have the mental strength to withstand people falling off the pace. She kept staying in and she earned her trip."
 
Earlier in the day All-American Spencer Brown (Wilton, Conn. / Wilton) stepped on the track in the men's 1,500-meter quarterfinals. Early in the race, Brown stuck to the rail and as competitors made moves on the outside, Brown was pushed to the back. He maneuvered up to the top seven at one point but when the bell rang, Brown slipped back and clocked 3:57.46, not enough to advance to the semifinals in Austin.
 
"Our expectations coming into this meet were certainly different from the outcome considering the number of athletes we brought to the East Prelim," Culley explained. "Certainly some learning experiences and some performances that we had really hoped would be better from some of our veterans. Overall, I think we walk away with some things to fix and a lot to improve upon. But we concluded the weekend with an incredible performance from Josette Norris in the 5,000 meters. As a coach you couldn't ask for much more than that from an athlete. She's been an incredible leader for us and we are just excited to see what she can do with another 5K under her belt and a little more experience when we get to Texas."
 
The Hoyas await the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Austin, Texas held June 5-8 at the University of Texas.
 
Georgetown NCAA Track & Field Championships East Preliminary Results
Men's 1,500-Meter Quarterfinal
23. Spencer Brown, 3:57.46 (H2: 11th)
 
Women's 5,000-Meter Semifinal
4. Josette Norris, 16:07.42 (H2: 3rd) [automatic qualifier]
 
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