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Allendale, Mich.----Wingate University junior distance specialist Franziska Althaus shattered her 10,000-meters' school record Thursday night, claiming first team All-American honors by virtue of her sixth-place finish at the NCAA Division II national outdoor track and field championships. Althaus' time of 34:13.48 is 38 seconds better than her previous career-best of 34:51.98.
 
Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Sports Commission are serving as co-hosts of the championships at the GVSU Track and Field Stadium. Althaus is not finished, as she will compete in the 5000 meters Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. The championships feature a live video stream on www.NCAA.com.
 
Race notes
 
- Althaus' previous career-best time (34:51.98) was established at the Raleigh Relays in March
- At the 6400-meter mark, Althaus was third behind U-Mary senior Ida Narbuvoll and Azusa Pacific senior Jennifer Sandoval
- Althaus remained in third place for 2000 meters
- Her fastest split was her final 400 meters, which she ran in 1:14.38
- Narbuvoll won her first national championship Thursday night
- Her gold-medal time of 33:36.59 was 30 seconds faster than second-place finisher Sandoval
- Finishers three through six matched Wingate's Althaus with career-best times
- Fatima Alanis (Queens) earned the bronze medal with her time of 34:10.69
- Jessica Gockley (GVSU) and Brianna Robles (Adams State) finished fourth and fifth, respectively
- Gockley posted a time of 34:11.53, while Robles edged Althaus for fifth by 0.24 seconds, thanks to her time of 34:13.24
 
What They Are Saying
 
Wingate distance coach Pol Domenech: "Championship races are always hard to navigate, but Franzi managed the situation very well. She was coming into the race with the 12th-fastest time and was able to finish sixth and achieve first team All-American. There is always so much to learn after the first national (championship) race. We will correct a few details and get back on the track Saturday, where Franzi will fight for her second All-American of the weekend."
 
Wingate junior student-athlete Franziska Althaus: "I am happy with the result of the race. I got sixth place, so I reached my goal of becoming an All-American. I know I could have done better. It was not a perfect race…a big group of girls was running the same pace, so there was a lot of tripping taking place. When the two girls made a move halfway through the race, I was stuck in the group. When I got out, I had to push against the wind alone. This cost me a lot of energy which was missing in the last laps. At the end, it was a great experience which I can learn from for future races."
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 36 undergraduate majors as well as six master's and four doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is the leading healthcare education provider in western North Carolina, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Athletes on Wingate's 23 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.