GENEVA, Ohio – The Haverford College women's outdoor track & field team had a busy opening Thursday at the NCAA Division III Championships as the Fords sent multiple student-athletes to the outdoor meet for the seventh time in program history and the first since the 2009 season. Unfortunately for the Fords, neither Katie Sullivan nor Nicole Giannetti was able to qualify for Saturday's final in their respective events.
A two-time All-American on the indoor track, Katie Sullivan was making her outdoor national championship debut in the 1,500 meters. Sullivan put herself in position to qualify for the finals by finishing eighth in the first heat with a time of 4:38.97. However, all but one of the four best remaining times after the top four finishers in each heat came out of the second heat of her event. She placed 16th overall in the field of 22.
Nicole Giannetti was making her national track debut in either season with her qualification to the steeplechase. Her time of 11:38.79 was 10th fastest in the opening heat with the top five finishers and next four best times qualifying for the final. Although unable to reach Saturday's final, she did improve on her seed entering the national championship by placing 21st overall.
Both juniors who will return to a talented team next year, Sullivan and Giannetti headline a program that has seen at least one qualifier at the outdoor championships in three of the last four seasons. However, both individuals also excelled during the cross country and indoor seasons. When they return to campus for the fall semester, Sullivan and Giannetti will be part of a team that appears well positioned to make its third straight appearance at the NCAA Cross Country Championships.