Three Seniors To Compete At NCAA Division II Outdoor Track National Championships
ALLENDALE, MICH. The Northwood University women's track and field team will send a trio of student-athletes to the NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships at Grand Valley State University.
All three seniors will be competing in their final meet as Timberwolves. Kelsey Burgess (Byron Center, Mich. / Grand Rapids South Christian), Danielle Miller (Clinton Twp., Mich. / Fraser) and Madison Pines (Troy, Mich. / Troy) have been declared as some of the top track and field athletes in the country. Burgess will be competing in the 3,000 meter steeplechase in her first NCAA Championship. Miller has qualified in the 10,000 meter run, while Pines will be representing Northwood in the 1,500 meter run.
The Northwood current 3,000 meter steeplechase record-holder, Burgess enters the Outdoor Championships the 18th seed. She initially qualified at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif. with a time of 10:58.38, breaking her previous school record of 11:10.62. Burgess improved her mark after placing third at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships (May 2) with a time of 10:52.06. Burgess is also in the record book for both the 3,000 and 5,000 meters indoor performances.
Miller is all over the Northwood record book entering her final meet as a Timberwolf. After having earned All-American honors at the 2014 Indoor Championships earlier this year, she recently won the 10,000 meter run and took fifth in the 5,000 meter run at the 2014 GLIAC Outdoor Championships. Miller ran her qualifying time for the 10,000 at the Mt. SAC Relays on April 20. She ran 35:12.03, which was good not only for a new school record (previously set in 2009 by Kylen Cieslak - 35:36.08) but also seeds Miller 7th overall in the event.
Also throughout the record book is six-time NCAA national qualifier, Madison Pines. Pines ran 4:30.87 in the 1,500 meter run at the Mt. SAC Relays to qualify as the 12th seed for the Outdoor Championships. She finished 11th overall in the mile at the 2014 NCAA Indoor Championships and 8th in the 1,500 at the GLIAC Outdoor Championships. Pines was named the named the Elite 89 Award Winner the past two years at both the 2013 and 2014 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships - which is given to the athlete with the highest overall GPA in the event.
The top eight finishers in each event will earn All-America honors. The women's 10,000 is set to start at 8:50 p.m. Thursday (May 22). The women's 1,500 meter run has prelims scheduled for Thursday at 5:25 p.m. with finals Saturday, May 24 at 5:45 p.m. The 3,000 meter steeplechase also has prelims scheduled for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. with finals set to begin at 7:25 p.m. on Friday, May 23.
The championships will be held May 22-24 in Allendale, Mich. Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission will serve as host of the championships.