Linhard qualifies for NCAA 1,500 final

BEREA, Ohio --- Colby College's Emma Linhard (Brunswick/Brunswick, Maine) is in the final of the women's 1,500-meter run after finishing in eighth place in heats at the NCAA Division III Women's Track and Field Championships at Baldwin-Wallace College on Thursday.

Linhard, a three-time All-American in track and field for the Mules, will race in the final at 1:20 p.m. on Saturday. The top eight finishers will receive All-American honors.

Linhard, who just finished her junior year at Colby, had a time of 4 minutes, 35.17 second to take eighth place in the second heat. Linhard, though, had a better time than any of the runners in the first heat. The top four finishers in each heat and the next four best times make up the 12 runners in Saturday's final. The winner in heat two had a time of 4:33.71.

Linhard holds the Colby record in the 1,500 meters at 4:32.05, but will likely need to get under 4:30 for any chance at winning the race.

Colby's Danielle Sheppard (Kittery, Maine) will compete in the women's high jump Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

1500 Meter Run

Round 1, Heat 1

    1 Jacqui Wentz, Sr, Mass Inst Technology          4:36.62Q         

    2 Jennifer KuiKen, Sr, Wartburg College           4:36.73Q         

    3 Catie Ellingson, Jr, Simpson College            4:37.01Q         

    4 Melissa Sullivan, So, Amherst College           4:37.64Q         

    5 Margo Cramer, So, Middlebury College            4:38.05          

    6 Molly Schlamb, Sr, Washington (Missouri)        4:41.39          

    7 Claire Roberts, So, Wisconsin Stevens Pt        4:41.52          

    8 Randelle Boots, Fr, Wellesley College           4:41.78          

    9 D'Arcy Hlavin, Sr, Baldwin-Wallace              4:42.25          

Round 1, Heat 2

    1 Marie Borner, Sr, Bethel University(Mn)         4:33.71Q         

    2 Lauren Reich, Sr, De Pauw University            4:33.75Q         

    3 Clare Egan, Sr, Wellesley College               4:33.94Q         

    4 Kelly Russ, Sr, Univ of St. Thomas              4:34.02Q         

    5 Mary Bridget Corken, Sr, Loras College          4:34.19q         

    6 Grayce Selig, Jr, Brandeis University           4:34.37q         

    7 Liz Phillips, So, Washington (Missouri)         4:35.06q         

    8 Emma Linhard, Jr, Colby College                 4:35.17q         

    9 Maeve Evans, So, New York University            4:35.87          

   10 Jennifer Lynch, Sr, Muhlenberg College          4:42.47          

Final

1500 METER RUN                                                Saturday 1:20 pm

                                  Top 4 in each heat plus next 4 fastest advance

Last year's winner: 4:27.41; Marie Borner, Jr, Bethel University(Mn)

NCAA Championships record: 4:15.20; Liz Woodworth, Wisconsin Oshkosh, 2004

Stadium record: 4:30.734:30.55; Jayna Mathieu, St. Olaf College, 1999

All-time DIII best: 4:15.20; Liz Woodworth, Wisconsin Oshkosh, 2004

                                                         Qual

 Lane Name                         Team                  Time

    1 Marie Borner, Sr        Bethel University(Mn)    4:33.71

    2 Melissa Sullivan, So    Amherst College          4:37.64

    3 Catie Ellingson, Jr     Simpson College          4:37.01

    4 Mary Bridget Corken, Sr Loras College            4:34.19

    5 Jacqui Wentz, Sr        Mass Inst Technology     4:36.62

    6 Clare Egan, Sr          Wellesley College        4:33.94

    7 Grayce Selig, Jr        Brandeis University      4:34.37

    8 Kelly Russ, Sr          Univ of St. Thomas       4:34.02

    9 Lauren Reich, Sr        De Pauw University       4:33.75

   10 Emma Linhard, Jr        Colby College            4:35.17

   11 Jennifer KuiKen, Sr     Wartburg College         4:36.73

   12 Liz Phillips, So        Washington (Missouri)    4:35.06