Natalie Busby Interview | Race Videos | Full Results
EUGENE, Ore. – Syracuse University freshman Natalie Busby won the USA Junior National 3,000-meter steeplechase championship with a time of 10:55.25 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore. Busby won by just .26 seconds. The victory earned her a chance to represent the USA at the Pan American Championships in Trinidad and Tobago on July 31-August 2. She is the fourth Orange runner to make a USA Team this year.
“I haven’t raced in a month since the Regionals, but I felt pretty good,” Busby said. “It was awesome. I love close races, and obviously I had a positive outcome so I liked the result.”
Other Syracuse results included freshman Pat Dupont’s third-place showing in the 3,000-meteer steeplechase and freshman Forrest Misenti’s fifth-place finish. Dupont finished in 9:10.55 and Misenti in 9:23.41. SU had three of the top-finishers as Joe Whelan, who signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Syracuse University and run track beginning in the fall, placed second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase championship earning a spot at the Pan American Championships.
Freshman Griff Graves finished fourth in the 5k with a time of 14:55.00 and freshman Zach Rivers placed seventh in the 10,000-meter run with a time of 32:43.55. Freshman Lauren Penney also competed and finished 10th in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:37.22.