University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC's Alice Schmidt Claims NCAA 800-Meter Title
May 31, 2002 | Track & Field
May 31, 2002
UNC's Alice Schmidt won the women's 800-meter title with a time of 2:04.73 at the 2002 NCAA Track Championships Friday in Baton Rouge, La. Schmidt, a sophomore from Omaha, Nab., claimed her first national crown ahead of Princeton's Lauren Simmons who ran 2:05.08 and California's Erin Belger who ran 2:05.09.
Schmidt ran on the outside for the first 400 meters to open up a ten meter lead and held off Simmons and Belger for the win.
"Alice ran a perfect race for us," UNC Coach Dennis Craddock said. "We're extremely proud of her and excited that she's our most recent national champion."
Schmidt is Carolina''s first national champion since Nicole Gamble won the indoor triple jump in 1999.
Schmidt's win is worth 10 points for the Tar Heels in the team rankings.
