Women's Outdoor Track and Field Southern Conference

ASU's Mary Jayne Harrelson Wins NCAA 1500-meter Title

Eugene, Ore. - A season of doubts to whether Appalachian State senior Mary Jayne Harrelson (Timberlake, N.C.) was the nation's best middle-distance runner were erased in just a few moments of a late Oregon spring weekend.

The Mountaineer from a rural portion of the Old North State is once again sitting on top of the world after winning her second 1500 meter national title.

A slow early pace forced the six-time all-American to move into the lead with just 300 meters of the race complete.

"Our plan wasn't to make a move so early but there was a lot of clipping, one girl had already fallen at 200 meters. I just wanted to make my way clear." Harrelson said after her win.

Once in control of the race, Harrelson progressively began to gap the field. Just beyond the halfway mark, she led by two meters. With 700 meters to go, her lead doubled to four meters.

Just as second and third place finishers Sally Glynn and Tracy Robertson thought they had a chance, she surged down the final backstretch to clinch the victory with an eight-meter win.

"When I made my move early I said to myself, 'If they want me they can come and get me, I'm going to make it my race,'" said Harrelson.

Her time of 4:14.30 was enough for the win and the nation's fastest collegiate time in 2001. Stanford's Sally Glynn followed for second (4:15.89) and the indoor mile national champion, Tracy Robertson of Arkansas finished in third at 4:18.12.

Compared to Harrelson's win in 1999, this was a much more lopsided affair.No final lap heroics were needed to seal the win for Harrelson. Once she took the early lead, the race belonged to the 23-time Southern Conference champion.

ASU Director of Track and Field John Weaver was obviously proud of his athlete. "She represented Appalachian State well by running the 800- and 1500-meter races. She could have gone the easy route and run only one event, but she wanted to do everything she could for ASU. It has been a privilege and an honor to work with such an athlete. Her dedication and sacrifice to the sport has been unparalleled".

The senior from little Timberlake, NC has once again closed out here season, and this time collegiate career with a national championship.

After finishing the 1,500 meter event Harrelson regained her composure and looked up in the stands at her best friend and Appalachian graduate assistant coach Corie Fuches and called out, "Come down here and run my victory lap with me!"

Fuches declined as Harrelson jogged away to complete her last lap as a Mountaineer.

It is only fitting that Harrelson would complete her honored run at Appalachian State with a victory lap.
Event 25 Women's 1,500 Meter

1 19 Mary Jayne Harrelson SR Appalachian State 4:14.3010.0

2 326 Sally Glynn SR Stanford 4:15.898.0

3 44 Tracy Robertson SR Arkansas 4:18.126.0

4 133 Autumn Fogg SR Georgetown 4:19.105.0

5 214 Ann Marie Brooks JR Missouri 4:19.144.0

6 322 Ashley Couper SR Stanford 4:20.923.0

7 342 Erin Sims SO Texas 4:22.982.0

8 115 Domtila Mwei SR Eastern Michigan 4:23.021.0

9 411 Emily Furia SR William & Mary 4:25.42

10 228 Shalane Flanagan FR North Carolina 4:25.67

11 68 Rachel Felton JR Boston University 4:31.54

12 21 Erin Doherty SR Arizona 4:39.57