(SR, Minnetonka, Minn./Holy Family HS) capped off her track and field career with her second All-America honor of the season, finishing in fifth place in the women's 10,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field National Championships, held on Thursday evening at
Ohio Wesleyan University's George Gauthier Track. Rice crossed the finish line in 35:54.93, the second-fastest time of her career, behind her school-record qualifying time of 35:46.43, set at the Drake Relays on April 24. The fifth-place national finish marked the best individual finish for an Auggie at the national championships since Shanek Telphia finished fifth in the women's outdoor 200-meter dash at the 2011 meet.
Rice's fifth-place finish marks Augsburg's 34th women's track and field All-America effort in program history, and second under
. She won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor title in the 5,000-meter run, while placing second in the 3,000-meter run. In the outdoor season, Rice placed second in the 3,000-meter run at the MIAC Championships, while placing fifth in the 1,500-meter run.
Rice holds Augsburg's school records in the outdoor 5,000-meter run (17:21.98) and 10,000-meter run (35:46.43), along with the indoor 1-mile run (5:06.78), 3,000-meter run (9:59.28) and 5,000-meter run (17:07.98).
At last month's Auggie Awards, Rice earned Women's Senior Honor Athlete and Women's Athlete of the Year-Individual Sports honors. A communications studies major with a perfect 4.00 grade-point average, Rice earned the NCAA Elite 89 and MIAC Elite 22 awards during the indoor track season.
(NOTE: Story includes information from previous NCAA story on Lauren Rice.)
