COLLEGE STATION, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - In her first NCAA Indoor Championship appearance, Anne-Marie Blaney turned in an All-American performance. The redshirt senior posted a school-record time of 15:49.26 to finish eighth in the 5,000-meter run inside Gilliam Indoor Stadium on Friday night.
The Ocala, Fla., native entered the race with the 12th best mark in the event, but quickly moved up in the pack. Blaney settled in the middle of the group, stepping up her pace to finish eighth overall.
Blaney used a school record time of 15:55.69 at the Music City Challenge on Feb. 10 to qualify for the indoor championships. On Friday evening, she lowered her mark by nearly seven seconds to set a new record in the event.
The top eight finishers at the NCAA Championship in individual events earn First Team All-America honors.
Blaney, who became the first Knight since 2013 to qualify for the indoor championships, set school records in the mile, 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter runs during the 2017 indoor campaign.
At the American Athletic Conference Indoor Championship, she earned her third consecutive individual league title in the 5,000-meter run. Named the Most Outstanding Track Performer, Blaney collected 26 points over three events to help the Knights earn The American team title.
UCF will now head to outdoor action. The Knights host the Black and Gold Challenge on March 17-18.
