March 19, 2003

Rudzinska Fifth at NCAA Indoor Championships

Beata Rudzinska entered the NCAA Indoor Championships with the 12th-fastest time in the women's 800m. On Friday, she was one of eight women to qualify for the finals 0n Saturday, where she finished fifth to become Akron's first All-American in a track event. She joins Michelle Rizzo, Christi Smith, Mary Varga, Laura Wozniak, Chad Bullett, and LeShaunte Edwards on Akron's list of track & field/cross country All-Americans.

Beata placed fourth, running 2:07.10 in the second preliminary section and advanced to the final as the second-fastest time qualifier. In that race she avoided a pile-up just before the 400-meter mark. In the finals she ran 2:07.42 and narrowly missed kicking down last year's NCAA Outdoor 800m champion, Alice Schmidt from North Carolina.

Beata Rudzinska in the final homestretch at the
NCAA Indoor Championships.