Records Fall As Wort And McKeever Attain All-America Status At NCAA?s

Friday, June 8

Sacramento, Calif.

All Day

Duke University

Day Three

Records Fall As Wort And McKeever Attain All-America Status At NCAA?s

6/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Track & Field

By: Duke Sports Information

SACRAMENTO, Calif. --- On the final day of Duke's 2007 outdoor track and field season, senior Elizabeth Wort and sophomore Maddie McKeever went out with a bang. Both placed in the top five and broke school records in their respective events at the NCAA championships in Sacramento, Calif. The pair gave the Blue Devils a total of nine team points and a 14th place showing with one day remaining in competition.

Wort ran the 3,000 meter steeplechase in a time of 9:51.76, which was good for a fourth-place finish at the NCAA's. She broke her own school record (which she set earlier this season) by less than one second. By placing in the top eight in the event, Wort attained automatic All-America status. Her fourth place showing earned Duke five team points.

McKeever clocked 15:52.83 in the 5,000 meter finals late Friday night, which earned her fifth place. That time shattered the Duke record that she set two days earlier in the preliminaries by almost 13 seconds. McKeever gained an automatic All-America award by finishing in the top eight. With her fifth place finish, she added four points to the Blue Devils' score.

Duke's runners will not compete again until late August, when the cross country season begins. Blue Devil field performers will resume competition in January 2008 with the commencement of the indoor track and field season. The 2007-2008 Duke cross country and track and field schedules will be released later this summer.

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