SEATTLE, Wash.—Senior distance runner Nicole Hutchinson (West Vancouver, B.C.) recorded the third-fastest indoor time in the 3000 meters in school history with a blistering mark of 8:55.68 at the Husky Classic on Friday afternoon.  Hutchinson became the fastest Villanovan in the 3K in 30 years with her race at Dempsey Indoor, where she was one of six Wildcats who all posted personal best times in their respective events.
 
The top six finishers in the fastest section of the 3000 meters all ran faster than what the nation's leading time had been before the race.  Hutchinson was third in that group and lowered her previous PR by more than 13 seconds.  The only Villanovan who has ever run a faster 3K indoors than Hutchinson is Wildcats legend Vicki Huber, who recorded times of 8:54.48 and 8:55.29 during the 1989 season. 
 
Hutchinson has now posted times in both the Mile and the 3000 meters this season which will hold up as qualifying times for the NCAA Championships next month.  In addition to securing a spot at nationals in the 3000 meters, Hutchinson also surged up seven spots on the all-time Villanova performance list in the event.  She jumped from ninth to second on the Wildcats indoor list and slots in at third overall on the school list regardless of season. 
 
All five Villanova runners who competed in the 3000 meters on Friday afternoon recorded personal best times.  Freshman Taryn O'Neill (Lake Country, B.C.) and sophomore Rachel McArthur (Bristow, Va.) each broke 9:20, with O'Neill crossing the finish line in 9:13.03 and McArthur recording a time of 9:19.10.  Junior Ann Campbell (Mission Hills, Kan.) was clocked in 9:37.72 and freshman Reilly Siebert (Syosset, N.Y.) ran a time of 9:42.00. 
 
Graduate transfer Caroline Alcorta (Springfield, Va.) was the last on the track for the Wildcats at the meet and she tallied a huge personal best in the 5000 meters.  She posted a time of 15:45.64 and came in eighth in the fastest section of the 5K during the meet.  Alcorta was a three-time All-ACC performer in the 5000 meters at North Carolina prior to transferring to Villanova for her final year of collegiate eligibility. 
 
Friday was a busy day for the Wildcats, who had athletes in competition at the Husky Classic in Seattle, the David Hemery Valentine Invite in Boston and the FastTrack National Invitational in New York.  The lone member of the women's team in action at the Boston meet was junior sprinter McKenna Keegan (West Grove, Pa.), who posted a time of 2:05.71 in the 800 meters.  She was one of two collegiate runners who competed in the fastest section of the event.
 
Complete results from the New York meet will be posted late Friday evening.