University of Richmond Athletics
Trio of Spiders Qualify for NCAA First Round in Tampa
05/17/2018 | Women's Track & Field
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. -- A trio of Spider Track and Field members qualified for the first round of NCAA Championships in Tampa next week. Richmond will be represented by Maria Acosta, Brooke Fazio and Marisa Ruskan.
This is the fourth-straight year that the Spiders have had athletes qualify for the NCAA meet, and this is the first time since 2011 that Richmond will be represented by more than two Spiders.Â
Acosta, who qualified in the 800M ran her season best of 2:07.43 at the Duke Invitational. She is ranked 40th in the east region in the event. Fazio ran 2:07.79 to place 3rd at the ECAC 800M Championships. She will join Acosta in the 800m as she is ranked 43rd. Ruskan will return to the East Prelims in the 1500M after also qualifying in 2017. She ran 4:23.91 in the event at this year's ECAC Outdoor Championships to achieve her qualifying mark. Action begins on May 24 in Tampa.
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This is the fourth-straight year that the Spiders have had athletes qualify for the NCAA meet, and this is the first time since 2011 that Richmond will be represented by more than two Spiders.Â
Acosta, who qualified in the 800M ran her season best of 2:07.43 at the Duke Invitational. She is ranked 40th in the east region in the event. Fazio ran 2:07.79 to place 3rd at the ECAC 800M Championships. She will join Acosta in the 800m as she is ranked 43rd. Ruskan will return to the East Prelims in the 1500M after also qualifying in 2017. She ran 4:23.91 in the event at this year's ECAC Outdoor Championships to achieve her qualifying mark. Action begins on May 24 in Tampa.
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- Spiders tied VCU for most female athletes qualified in the Atlantic 10 Conference with 3Â
- 1 of 2 Atlantic 10 Conference teams with 2 entrants in the same event
- Brooke Fazio is first freshman for UR since Jill Prentice (5K-2011)
- Most NCAA qualifiers for UR since 2011
- Brooke Fazio is 1 of 2 freshman qualifiers from the Atlantic 10 Conference
- Brooke Fazio is 1 of 6 freshman qualified to the NCAA East Prelim in the 800M
- Spiders have 2 of the 4 entrants from the Atlantic 10 Conference in the 800M
- Spiders are 1Â of 2 teams in VA with 2 qualifiers in the 800m (Liberty)
- Spiders have 2 of 7 athletes from VA in the 800M
- Spiders are 1 of 9 teams with at least 2 qualifiers in the 800m (UCONN, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Villanova, Liberty, Ohio State, Penn, Indiana)
- First UR 800M qualifiers since 2005Â
- Marisa Ruskan is the lone entrant in the 1500M from the Atlantic 10 Conference
- Ruskan qualified for the same event in 2017
- Ruskan is 1 of 3 athletes from VA in the 1500m (VT-2)
- Third consecutive year Spiders have qualified at least one athlete in the 1500M
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Players Mentioned
Long Sprints
/ Women's Track & Field
Middle Distance
/ Women's Track & Field
Distance
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