2017 DI NCAA Indoor ChampionshipsMar 11, 2017 by Meg Bellino
Karissa Schweizer Wins NCAA Indoor 5000m Crown In 15:19
Karissa Schweizer Wins NCAA Indoor 5000m Crown In 15:19
Karissa Schweizer can now call herself a two-time NCAA champion. The Missouri junior won her first-ever track title by capturing the 5000m in 15:19.14 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday night.
Karissa Schweizer can now call herself a two-time NCAA champion.
The Missouri junior won her first-ever track title by capturing the 5000m in 15:19.14 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday night with a quick 400m split of 65 seconds, a move that broke Erin Finn and Anna Rohrer. Finn of Michigan was second in 15:27.36 and Rohrer of Notre Dame third in 15:29.83, the exact same order as the 2016 NCAA XC Championships.
​The race played out similarly to the fall championship in Terre Haute, Indiana, in which Rohrer and Finn battled early and Schwiezer came from behind with the winning kick. ​This go-round, though, the 200m banked track at Texas A&M presented a bit of a space problem, as Finn -- running in second place sandwiched between Rohrer and Schweizer -- appeared to get clipped multiple times during the race and took at least one step outside of the rail.
Rohrer split 4:53.35 through 1600m, with most of the field just a few seconds back. By 3200m, Rohrer and Finn split 9:50. Schweizer lurked behind in 9:51, and everyone else was eight seconds back. At 400m to go, the defending cross country champion knew it was time to make her move.
"I knew the girls I was racing against were gonna make it an honest race," Schweizer said. "I was just gonna hang in there and see what I can do. I hadn't run a 5K in awhile, mostly just 3Ks and miles. With 400m to go, I knew I was going to make a move whether I felt good or not."
When asked about clipping Finn, she said, "I was probably a little too close, I have a really long stride. I'm not good at running behind people.​"
Schweizer's 15:19.14 is a nearly 20-second PB. She ran a lifetime best of 15:37.4 earlier this season, and just a year ago, her best was 15:58.09. Her time makes Schweizer the No. 5 performer in NCAA history. Rohrer's hot early pace made this final the fastest NCAA Indoor Championship 5K in history -- no other race has produced three sub-15:30 marks.
Schweizer will race the 3K on Saturday.
Watch the Women's Championships 5K below:
The Missouri junior won her first-ever track title by capturing the 5000m in 15:19.14 at the NCAA Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas, on Friday night with a quick 400m split of 65 seconds, a move that broke Erin Finn and Anna Rohrer. Finn of Michigan was second in 15:27.36 and Rohrer of Notre Dame third in 15:29.83, the exact same order as the 2016 NCAA XC Championships.
​The race played out similarly to the fall championship in Terre Haute, Indiana, in which Rohrer and Finn battled early and Schwiezer came from behind with the winning kick. ​This go-round, though, the 200m banked track at Texas A&M presented a bit of a space problem, as Finn -- running in second place sandwiched between Rohrer and Schweizer -- appeared to get clipped multiple times during the race and took at least one step outside of the rail.
Rohrer split 4:53.35 through 1600m, with most of the field just a few seconds back. By 3200m, Rohrer and Finn split 9:50. Schweizer lurked behind in 9:51, and everyone else was eight seconds back. At 400m to go, the defending cross country champion knew it was time to make her move.
"I knew the girls I was racing against were gonna make it an honest race," Schweizer said. "I was just gonna hang in there and see what I can do. I hadn't run a 5K in awhile, mostly just 3Ks and miles. With 400m to go, I knew I was going to make a move whether I felt good or not."
When asked about clipping Finn, she said, "I was probably a little too close, I have a really long stride. I'm not good at running behind people.​"
Schweizer's 15:19.14 is a nearly 20-second PB. She ran a lifetime best of 15:37.4 earlier this season, and just a year ago, her best was 15:58.09. Her time makes Schweizer the No. 5 performer in NCAA history. Rohrer's hot early pace made this final the fastest NCAA Indoor Championship 5K in history -- no other race has produced three sub-15:30 marks.
Schweizer will race the 3K on Saturday.
Watch the Women's Championships 5K below: