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Eagles Capture 4x800-Meter Relay at Patriot League Championships
AU sets new school record while winning race

February 22, 2003 | Stats

Zaia Wharton's strong move in her leg of the 4x800 relay helped send AU to victory.

HAMILTON, N.Y. — At the Patriot League Indoor Track and Field Championships, the American University women's squad won the only event they entered today. The team won the 4x800-meter relay in a school-record time of 9:10.59 as AU won the race by six seconds.

Sophomore Megan Simpson ran the leadoff leg for the Eagles and handed the baton off in sixth place after running 2:23. Freshman Zaia Wharton took the baton and ran the first two laps of her leg in the sixth position. She made a strong move in the third lap to close the gap and put AU in third with her leg of 2:18.

Freshman Keira Carlstrom ran the third leg for the Eagles and put herself right behind the leaders, Bucknell and Navy. She took the lead midway through the first lap and opened up a gap. When she handed off the baton after running a 2:14 split, AU had a three-second lead.

Senior Samia Akbar took the baton and quickly pulled away. She ran a 2:14 split for her leg, giving the Eagles a six second win over the team from Bucknell. AU's time breaks the school record by over a minute and was only six seconds off the Patriot League record.

Thanks to the 10 points earned by the relay, the Eagles are currently in sixth place in the meet. The Patriot League meet continues tomorrow beginning at 1 p.m. with the mile.