May 14, 2010
Columbia, Missouri - Early morning racing in favorable cool conditions provided the setting for Katherine Devlin to run a career best time of 34:51.67 and place fourth in the 10,000 meters. The first final of the Big 12 Championships supplied the Aggies with five points from Devlin's effort.
Lisa Koll of Iowa State, the collegiate record holder of this event, won her fourth league title with a meet record time of 33:51.74. She and a pair of Cyclone teammates pulled away from the field after a conservative early pace. Iowa State claimed the top three spots and added a sixth place finish for 27 points in the race.
Amid the slow pace to start the race Devlin was part of an eight-runner group. Later in the race she was in a four-runner pack with a pair of Kansas runners and the fourth Iowa State runner.
"I didn't think it was going to go out so slow, but I remained patient," Devlin noted. "I was a little frustrated with the first mile. Then when Coach Waters told me to make my move things worked out really well. I'm very pleased with the time and happy I could earn points for the team."
Pulling ahead of that foursome Devlin established herself into fourth place over the final five laps. Allie Marquis of Kansas finished fifth, nine seconds behind Devlin.
In bettering her previous PR of 35:05.17 from her third place finish at Penn Relays Devlin remains the No. 4 performer on the A&M all-time list and improves to the No. 6 performance.
Up next will be the start of the decathlon for Trinity Otto and the heptathlon for Daphne Fitzpatrick and Bonnie Richardson. This afternoon the men's and women's hammer will be contested as well as the men's javelin.