June 16, 2004

Beata Rudzinska Places Fourth at NCAA Championships

Beata Rudzinska ran 2:04.33 in the 800m finals of the NCAA Championships to place fourth, matching her finish at this year's indoor championships and improving on her fifth in the finals of the Mideast Regional Championships. After heavy rains washed out the first round of the 800m qualifying, Beata won her semifinal race (2:05.52) on Thursday to qualify for Saturday's finals. The first 200m of the finals was fast, with Beata in seventh place in 29.4 seconds, before the pace slowed in the second 200m (leader's split 61.3). In the final lap she passed two runners to move into fourth and was gaining on third at the finish line. Rudzinska became the first Akron woman to score in a running event at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Her performance, combined with pole vaulter Kira Sim's fourth-place finish, pushed the Zips to a tie for 22nd in the team standings.

NCAA Outdoor Results

Beata Rudzinska running in the NCAA 800m semifinals.