Women's Track & Field 3/6/2011 12:00:00 AM

Mimic Runs NCAA Automatic Time in 3000 Meters

March 6, 2011

NEW YORK--Junior Bogdana Mimic (Pancevo, Serbia) became the second member of the Villanova team to run an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Championships in the 3000 meters when she won her race in the Columbia Last Chance Meet with a time of 9:10.64 at the New York Armory on Saturday night. Mimic and senior Sheila Reid (Newmarket, Ont.) have each run automatic qualifying times in the 3000 meters this year.

The last time Mimic raced at the Armory was four weeks ago in the New Balance Collegiate Invitational, where her time of 9:17.34 in the 3000 meters left her a little more than a second over the automatic NCAA cut time of 9:16.00. She cut her season-best time down by nearly seven seconds in Saturday's race and finished first in a field of 19 runners in the process.

Mimic was one of four Wildcats that competed at last year's national meet in the 3000 meters and now she and Reid will be returning to the championships once again. Her time of 9:10.64 on Saturday ranks seventh best in the nation this season and there are now a dozen automatic qualifiers.

Senior Ali Smith (Columbia, Md.) also ran the 3000 meters on Saturday and finished in fifth place with a time of 9:20.10. It was her best time of the season by more than three seconds and improves her ranking to 33rd nationally this season.

Three other athletes for Villanova registered season-best times in their respective events on Saturday. Senior Kristen Mahon (Robbinsville, N.J.) placed second in the 400 meters in 55.95. Freshman Nicky Akande (Lawrenceville, Ga.) and sophomore Shannon Browne (Staten Island, N.Y.) each competed in the 800 meters and came in seventh and 11th, respectively. Akande crossed the finish line in 2:11.03 and Browne finished in 2:14.42.

Junior Shericka Ward (Leesburg, Fla.) was also competing in the Columbia meet and won both the 60 meter hurdles (8.35) and the 200 meters (24.54). She is currently tied for 23rd in the nation in the 60 meter hurdles, with her top time of 8.27 coming back in January at the Penn State National meet.

Official selections for the NCAA Championships will be posted on NCAA.org on Monday no later than 7 p.m.

COMPLETE VILLANOVA RESULTS FROM COLUMBIA LAST CHANCE MEET
(DAY 2 - SATURDAY)

60 Meter Hurdles

Shericka Ward - 1st of 7 (8.35)

200 Meters

Shericka Ward - 1st of 5 (24.54)

400 Meters

Kristen Mahon - 2nd of 8 (55.95)

800 Meters

Nicky Akande - 7th of 18 (2:11.03)
Shannon Browne - 11th (2:14.42)

3000 Meters

Bogdana Mimic - 1st of 19 (9:10.64)
Ali Smith - 5th (9:20.10)