Patrick Tiernan - Senior distance runner Patrick Tiernan (Toowoomba, Australia) had the lead for much of the race and still had something left in the tank to close strong and finish third in the 5000 meters at the NCAA Championships on Friday night. This is the best career NCAA finish on the track either indoors or outdoors for Tiernan, who scored in the 5000 meters outdoors with a top-eight finish for the second time in three years. Senior middle distance runner Jordy Williamsz (Melbourne, Australia) ran in the final of the 1500 meters at Hayward Field and registered a ninth place finish.

Tiernan recorded a time of 13:27.07 to tally his second-fastest career time in the 5000 meters. His race at the NCAA meet marked the second time this season that he has run under 13:30, while his third place finish is three spots higher than his sixth place finish outdoors two years ago on the same track.

After the field of 24 runners settled into a steady pace in the first few laps of the race, Tiernan moved through the pack and into the lead after the first 1000 meters. He wound up holding the lead for more than half of the race ââ'¬" better than six full laps around the track ââ'¬" and eventually was part of a three-man leading pack for the final lap.

There were as many as eight runners within striking distance of the lead with 800 meters to go, but by the time the bell sounded the trio of Edward Cheserek from Oregon, Sean McGorty from Stanford and Tiernan had separated themselves from the rest of the contenders. Tiernan made a final push for the front with 200 meters to go but Cheserek took the lead entering the second to last turn and held on for the eventual win.

It was an excellent race for Tiernan on all fronts, as he approached the Olympics standard in the 5000 meters for the second time this season. The standard is 13:25 flat and Tiernan had previously run a personal best time of 13:25.78 in the Payton Jordan Invitational at Stanford earlier this season. He came in fourth in the event at the Australian Athletics Championships in late March, with that meet serving as the country's Olympics trials.

Williamsz got the evening started for Villanova by running in the national championship race of the 1500 meters. He posted a time of 3:47.61 and finished ninth in a race that went out remarkably quick and never let up. Williamsz was pushed to the back of the field of 12 runners in the opening 150 meters and then was able to avoid a near-collision after 300 meters and maintain his footing as the race really got going.

The third place finish by Tiernan is the best finish by a Wildcats runner at the outdoor NCAA Championships since Bobby Curtis won the national title in the 5000 meters in 2008. It was also a significant achievement for Villanova that both Tiernan and Williamsz reached the final of their respective events for the third consecutive year. The last time a Wildcats runner competed in the final of the same event three straight years at the outdoor NCAA Championships came when Brad Sumner did so in the 800 meters from 1991-93.

Tiernan had previously finished sixth in the 5000 meters at the outdoor championships two years ago, as well as posting a 10th place finish last season. Williamsz, meanwhile, had come in fifth in the 1500 meters in each of the last two seasons.

Friday night's competition marked the final collegiate track races for both Tiernan and Williamsz, who have combined for 13 career All-America honors between the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field seasons. Williamsz has used up all of his collegiate eligibility, while Tiernan will return in the fall for a final season of cross country eligbility.

The third place finish by Tiernan marks the sixth straight year that Villanova has scored points at the outdoor NCAA Championships, and the 56th time in 70 years that the Wildcats have scored team points since they made their debut at the national meet in 1947.