WVU Track had its final team member finish her season on Thursday, and she did so in record-breaking fashion.
Redshirt senior Mikenna Vanderheyden represented West Virginia by herself this week at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, running the steeplechase. With her first sub-10 minute time, Vanderheyden placed 14th overall.
Vanderheyden qualified for the event after placing ninth in the NCAA East Preliminary Round in Lexington, Ky. in late May. The top 12 steeplechasers from the round qualified for the semifinals in Eugene, Ore. this week, with the top 12 there advancing to the final round on Saturday.
With a time of 9:59.9, Vanderheyden did not quite break to the final round, but she did cement herself in WVU history with the program’s third best performance all-time. 14th place also earned Vanderheyden Second Team All-America honors, which was reserved for placers ninth to 16th.
The NCAA Championship appearance was both WVU’s last of the season and Vanderheyden’s final race of her collegiate career. She goes down in history as one of WVU’s highest performing runners in both track and cross country.
“Mikenna has been a huge part of the program’s success over the years, with breaking records on the track, winning a Big 12 title in the distance medley relay and competing in two NCAA cross country finals,” said WVU coach Sean Cleary.
Photo from WVU Track & Field
