Tuesday, February 16, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. - Saturday's record performance for Alaska Anchorage's Joyce Chelimo has earned the senior selection as the Division II Women's Athlete of the Week by the U.S. Track & Field & Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

No one in Division II this year has run faster than Chelimo did over 3,000 meters this weekend, and few other Division II women ever have gone faster. The Alaska Anchorage senior won her section of the 3,000 at the Husky Classic in 9:17.97, good for the 31st-fastest time of the day in a field of nearly 80 women primarily made up of Division I and professional runners.

That time is more than six seconds faster than Emily Oren of Hillsdale atop the 2016 DII leaderboard, and trails only Amy Harper and Gladee Prieur of the dominant 1980s Cal Poly San Luis Obispo squads and Oren on the all-time list, regardless of track size.

In addition to her individual efforts, she ran away from the field in the anchor leg of Alaska Anchorage’s winning distance medley relay. As a result, the Seawolves ran 11:39.44 for the No. 3 spot on the TFRRS qualifying list.