SEATTLE – Breaking an NCAA Record is typically a surefire means to win National Athlete of the Week honors, and that held true for the Husky women’s distance medley relay squad, which shared USTFCCCA weekly honors with another record-breaker, 60-meter sprinter Julien Alfred of Texas.
This is the second year in a row that the Huskies have won National Athlete of the Week honors for their DMR, as the men’s relay got the honor in 2022 when they posted the third-fastest time in collegiate history. It’s also the second National Athlete of the Week honor for UW this season, as sprinter Anthony Smith won the award in December.
Friday night in Boston at the BU Track & Tennis Center, the Huskies ran basically on their own on the way to a time of 10:46.62 for the DMR, which takes a 4,000-meter run and breaks it down into legs of 1,200-meters, 400-meters, 800-meters, and 1,600-meters.
Sophie O’Sullivan (1200), Marlena Preigh (400), Carley Thomas (800) and Anna Gibson (1600) were the record-setting crew. O’Sullivan split 3:16.24 on the opener, the fastest opening leg recorded among the NCAA’s fastest ever DMRs. Preigh ran 54.21, then Thomas clocked a 2:01.93, and Gibson brought it home in 4:34.26 for 1,600-meters.
Washington took down Oregon’s six-year-old all-time collegiate best in the event. That Oregon 2017 team was also coached by current Husky Head Coach Maurica Powell.
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