Koch places second in 800 at nationals
Carsyn Koch of Washburn achieved All-America status on Saturday with her performance in the 800-meter run at the NCAA Div. II Women’s Track and Field Championships at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
The freshman, representing Cedarville University in Ohio, finished as the runner-up in her first national championship finals event.
Koch ran the 800 in a personal- and school-record time of 2 minutes, 5.21 seconds, but senior Lindsey Butterworth of Simon Fraser University took the title with an NCAA-record time of 2:02.88.
Koch, a former multi-sport standout at Washburn, was the top qualifier in Friday’s 800 preliminaries, where she clocked a 2:06.85.
Koch had prepared for the biggest meet of her young career by winning two events at the National Christian College Athletic Association outdoor championship at Rome, Ga. earlier this month.
Koch won the 1,500 in 4:24.26 seconds, which was the seventh fastest time in Div. II this spring. She also claimed the 800 in 2:12.62.
On April 24, she sped to her previous career best in the 800 with a time of 2:07.25 at the Triton Invitational in San Diego. That shattered a school record (2:09.19) set in 1986 by U.S. Olympic Trials participant Jane Romig Brooker.
