WASHINGTON – Josette Norris (Tenafly, N.J. / Tenafly / North Carolina) capped her illustrious career in stellar fashion as she claimed fourth place in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Norris' performance propelled the Blue & Gray to a 41st place team showing at the national meet, held at Mike A. Myers Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin. The team finish is the best for the Hoya women since the 2012 season (33rd).
 
"I'm just so happy for Josette," Director of Track & Field / Cross Country Julie Culley said. "She handled herself beautifully out there and it was incredible to watch. In conditions like this, it's really hard to know what is going to happen and how a race will play out. Extreme heat is an X factor that you simply cannot prepare for. When she stepped on that track today, she was competing at this meet for the first time but she carried herself like it was her sixth time – she was so calm, cool and collected and wasn't at all rattled by the heat. She just continued to focus on her race plan, was relaxed from the start and even stayed in the back to see how the race was unfolding and made her move when it was time."
 
With the temperatures in Austin hitting 96 degrees at the start of the race, Norris ran an incredibly smart 12.5 laps. A patient effort, Norris waited to make her move once the field began to thin to a long line of competitors. Shy of the halfway point, Norris moved up to be part of what would become the lead pack. A change in the leader with 2,000 meters to go brought with it an increase in the pace and the New Jersey native's fitness left her in the race as others started to drop off.
 
By the bell, Norris and the leaders had pushed past the 10,000-meter champion from Thursday night and shifted into one last gear down the home stretch. Norris ran 15:52.05 to finish fourth overall. It is the best finish for a Hoya in the event since All-American and Olympian Emily Infeld (B'12) finished second in 2011.
 
"I wish we had another year together," Culley continued. "To think of where she was a year ago to today when she finished fourth among the nation's best distance runners – it's truly a dream come true for her."
 
Georgetown NCAA Track & Field Championships Individual Results
Women's 5,000-Meter Run
4. Josette Norris, 15:52.05 [5]
 
NCAA Track & Field Championships Women's Team Results (top 20 of 71 receiving a score)
1. Arkansas (64); 2. USC (57); 3. LSU (43); 4. Texas A&M (38); 5. Oregon (34); 6. Florida (32); 7. Alabama (29); 8. New Mexico (27); 9. Colorado (24); T10. Texas (20); T10. South Carolina (20); T10. Stanford (20); T10. Florida State (20); 14. Kentucky (19.5); 15. North Carolina A&T (19); 16. Kansas State (16); T17. North Carolina (14); T17. Penn (14); T17. Washington (14); T20. Miami (13); T20. Boise State (13) … T41. Georgetown (5)