It was the last indoor track and field meet of senior Emily Harrison's college running career. As she crossed the finish line of her 5K event at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships last weekend, Harrison said, she did not know right away how she had performed.
"I was not 100 percent sure what place I was," Harrison said. "All the runners in the middle switched positions toward the end, but when I saw my coach and he told me I should be [an] All-American, it was a relief."
Harrison did in fact earn All-American status; she was the only Virginia runner to earn the honor this season.
"Most seasons, we will have someone win All-American honors, but the last time someone won All-American honors in the event that Harrison won it was in 1981," assistant coach Jason Dunn said.
Held in Fayetteville, Ark., the top eight American finishers in the event qualified for the All-American title. Harrison said she finished ninth, but since the winner of the event was an international runner, she received the title.
"Of all women across the country that do this sport, they only take 16 athletes to nationals, so this is a very exclusive group," Dunn said.
Harrison made waves even before she set foot in Arkansas for the 2008 Indoor Championships. The week before, she became the only Virginia runner this season to qualify for nationals with a record-breaking time of 16:16.53 in the 5K event.
Dunn noted Harrison's time was the "second-fastest time in the school's history."
Harrison said this success has been a great way to end the indoor track and field season.
"It feels pretty great and it was one of my goals coming into the indoor season," Harrison said. "This is my first indoor All-American. It was my first time qualifying for indoor nationals as well."
Harrison, also a competitor on the cross country team, said she did not change her training drastically when adjusting from the cross country to the indoor track and field season.
"From cross country, I went from running 75 to 80 miles a week, and that's about the only change," Harrison said. "It's been my really consistent training that has helped me prepare."
Dunn, who is also Virginia's cross country coach, noted "Harrison has distinguished herself as one of the best runners in school history."
Dunn added that although All-American awards are primarily reflections of the athletes themselves, he appreciates what Harrison's victory has done for the Virginia team as a whole.
"We would certainly like to have multiple All-Americans every time we go to championships," Dunn said. "We are certainly very pleased with Emily's performance and it reflects well upon the program."
The Virginia track and field team heads into the outdoor season this weekend, during which Harrison will compete in the 10K event.
"It is nice to have that success in the indoor track heading into the outdoor season," Harrison said. "I ran some [personal records] across the board and I hope to do the same in the 10K event for the outdoor season"
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