Saturday, June 9
Eugene, Ore.
2:30 P.M. ET
North Carolina
at
NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships Day 4
Junior Morgan Ilse ran a second-best personal time of 16:08.83 in the women's 5,000 meters at her first NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Photo by: Rick Morgan
Ilse Wraps Up NCAA Competition for Carolina, Runs Personal Second-Best Time
June 10, 2018 | Track & Field
EUGENE, Ore. — Junior Morgan Ilse wrapped up competition for the University of North Carolina track and field teams at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday June 9th, finishing 22nd with a time of 16:08.83 in the women's 5,000 meter race. Ilse currently holds the school record in the women's indoor 5,000 meters with a time of 16:16.77, and she ranks fourth all-time in the women's indoor 3,000 meters (9:12.18) and the outdoor 3,000 meters (9:24.88).
"I'm really pleased," UNC head coach Harlis Meaders said. "Morgan was very close last year to making this championship and she got a little discombobulated at the prelims, so for her to fight her way back and to make it to Eugene was quite an accomplishment. I think it shows great maturity from her and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she can do next year in her senior season."
"I feel good," Ilse said. "Not ecstatic, but not disappointed. Going into it, I thought it was going to string out really early because I know there were a bunch of girls who were ranked really high with really fast times. I was glad it was a race more geared to what I'm used to running, but once they started going with a mile to go I thought 'Oh boy, here it goes!' Overall I think it was good. Weather was good, crowd was amazing. It was so loud and so cool."
Ilse qualified for her first ever competition at Hayward Field with a time of 16:23.20 at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, ranking her 24th in Saturday's competition. The junior from Dunwoody, Ga. holds a personal best of 16:16.77 in the indoor 5,000 meters competition and she ran a lifetime best of 16:05.83 at the Virginia Challenge on April 21st of this outdoor season. Ilse earned her first second-team All-ACC honors in the 3,000 meters at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Also a member of the UNC cross country team, Ilse is a two-time All-ACC cross-country performer and earned All-Region honors in cross country in the fall.
"Definitely excited to come back," Ilse said. "Hopefully I'll finally get that All-America status, but for my first NCAA I'm definitely happy about how it went."
"[Morgan] came and did what the rest of her team has done this weekend," Meaders said. "Everyone has worn the blue really well and they competed at or above their PR's. That's really all you can ask for. This is one of the toughest competitions in the world. You see how many world leading performances have come from this competition, and for our kids to be here and to compete at that level, it's outstanding."
Congratulations to the UNC track and field teams on an impressive NCAA showing and a great season.
"I'm really pleased," UNC head coach Harlis Meaders said. "Morgan was very close last year to making this championship and she got a little discombobulated at the prelims, so for her to fight her way back and to make it to Eugene was quite an accomplishment. I think it shows great maturity from her and I'm really looking forward to seeing what she can do next year in her senior season."
"I feel good," Ilse said. "Not ecstatic, but not disappointed. Going into it, I thought it was going to string out really early because I know there were a bunch of girls who were ranked really high with really fast times. I was glad it was a race more geared to what I'm used to running, but once they started going with a mile to go I thought 'Oh boy, here it goes!' Overall I think it was good. Weather was good, crowd was amazing. It was so loud and so cool."
Ilse qualified for her first ever competition at Hayward Field with a time of 16:23.20 at the NCAA East Preliminary Round, ranking her 24th in Saturday's competition. The junior from Dunwoody, Ga. holds a personal best of 16:16.77 in the indoor 5,000 meters competition and she ran a lifetime best of 16:05.83 at the Virginia Challenge on April 21st of this outdoor season. Ilse earned her first second-team All-ACC honors in the 3,000 meters at the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Also a member of the UNC cross country team, Ilse is a two-time All-ACC cross-country performer and earned All-Region honors in cross country in the fall.
"Definitely excited to come back," Ilse said. "Hopefully I'll finally get that All-America status, but for my first NCAA I'm definitely happy about how it went."
"[Morgan] came and did what the rest of her team has done this weekend," Meaders said. "Everyone has worn the blue really well and they competed at or above their PR's. That's really all you can ask for. This is one of the toughest competitions in the world. You see how many world leading performances have come from this competition, and for our kids to be here and to compete at that level, it's outstanding."
Congratulations to the UNC track and field teams on an impressive NCAA showing and a great season.
Players Mentioned
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