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Akbar Earns All-American Honors with Ninth Place Finish in NCAA 10,000m
O'Brien advances to 1500m final on Saturday

June 12, 2003

Samia Akbar became American's first women's track All-American.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Concluding her career as American University's most decorated female runner, senior Samia Akbar (Herndon, Va./Oakton) became the school's first women's track All-American after her ninth place finish in the 10,000m at the NCAA Championships. Akbar becomes AU's sixth All-American this year, five of which are from the track program. She is the 33rd All-American in school history and first female since Stacey Siu Butt earned the honor in field hockey in 1996.

Akbar shattered her own school record by nearly 40 seconds, running 33:38.55 in the NCAA Championships. She finished just three seconds out of eighth place en route to her All-American honor. Akbar entered the race seeded in the 16th spot.

On the men's side, senior Sean O'Brien (Tewksbury, Mass./Winnisquam Regional) advanced to the 1500m final for the third consecutive season. As was the case in last year's meet, the first heat of the 1500m was the quicker one of the two. Unlike last year, O'Brien was in the first heat which benefited him as he was able to advance to the final on time. O'Brien ran 3:44.29, the fourth fastest time of his career, to finish seventh in his heat and 11th overall to qualify for Saturday's final. O'Brien will be in search of the fourth All-American honor of his career, a feat never accomplished by an AU athlete.

The 1500m final will be held on Saturday at 7:50 p.m. All times are Pacific Daylight Time.

Results will be posted after the race on the Sacramento State website (click here).

Women's 10,000m Finals
1 Alicia Craig FR Stanford 32:40.03
2 Kate O'Neill SR Yale 32:47.07
3 Kristin Price JR NC State 32:50.01
4 Laura O'Neill SR Yale 32:52.26
5 Jamie Krzyminski SO Michigan State 32:52.87
6 Vicky Gill SR Florida State 33:09.35
7 Annie Bersagel SO Wake Forest 33:24.03
8 Debbie Thornhill JR Baylor 33:35.72
9 Samia Akbar SR American 33:38.55
10 Sabrina Monro SR Washington 33:42.80
11 Jane Maxwell SR Virginia 33:55.98
12 Alison Henderson JR William & Mary 33:56.32
13 Molly Austin SR Colorado 34:11.74
14 Tara Struyk SO West Virginia 34:33.61
15 Adriana Pirtea SR Texas-El Paso 34:39.78
16 Emily Kroshus JR Princeton 34:42.20
17 Beth Fonner SR NC State 34:42.43
18 Cynthia Losee JR Weber State 34:43.73
19 Ariana Lee SR Montana State 34:50.67
20 Loretta Kilmer SO Columbia 34:53.99
21 Nicole Lee FR Georgetown 35:31.61
22 Penny Splichal SO Arkansas 35:36.62
23 Erin Moffett JR DePaul 35:37.56
24 Brianna Torres SR Colorado 35:46.46
25 Kate Bradshaw SR Washington 36:00.05
-- Adriana Zalucka SO Akron DNF
-- Sarah Folse SR Virginia DNF
-- Kristen Ogden SR Brigham Young DNS

Men's 1500m
Heat 1
1 Said Ahmed SO Arkansas 3:42.26Q
2 Richard Kiplagat SO Iona 3:42.48Q
3 Mike Taylor SO Arkansas 3:42.97Q
4 Jorge Torres SR Colorado 3:43.02Q
5 James Bowler SR Nebraska 3:43.84q
6 Martin Robeck JR Minnesota 3:43.95q
7 Sean O'Brien SR American 3:44.29q
8 Nathan Robison SO Brigham Young 3:46.50
9 Eric Garner JR Washington 3:47.80
10 David Freeman JR Kentucky 3:49.25
11 James Hatch SO Arkansas 3:49.76
12 John Jefferson SO Indiana 3:52.88
13 Paul Michel FR Colorado State 4:01.39
Heat 2
1 Nick Willis FR Michigan 3:42.15Q
2 Grant Robison JR Stanford 3:43.49Q
3 Joel Atwater SR Weber State 3:44.59Q
4 Chris Mulvaney JR Arkansas 3:44.68Q
5 Chris Lukezic FR Georgetown 3:44.78q
6 Brent Wilberts JR Drake 3:44.91
7 Tom Parlapiano JR Villanova 3:45.32
8 Brendon Mahoney JR Georgia Tech 3:45.49
9 Hunter Spencer JR Kentucky 3:45.76
10 Kip Kangogo SO Brigham Young 3:46.95
11 Blake Boldon SR SW Missouri St. 3:47.65
12 John Russell JR Washington 3:47.92
13 Ryan Ponsonby SO Texas 4:04.57

Preliminaries
1 Nick Willis FR Michigan 3:42.15Q
2 Said Ahmed SO Arkansas 3:42.26Q
3 Richard Kiplagat SO Iona 3:42.48Q
4 Grant Robison JR Stanford 3:43.49Q
5 Mike Taylor SO Arkansas 3:42.97Q
6 Joel Atwater SR Weber State 3:44.59Q
7 Jorge Torres SR Colorado 3:43.02Q
8 Chris Mulvaney JR Arkansas 3:44.68Q
9 James Bowler SR Nebraska 3:43.84q
10 Martin Robeck JR Minnesota 3:43.95q
11 Sean O'Brien SR American 3:44.29q
12 Chris Lukezic FR Georgetown 3:44.78q
13 Brent Wilberts JR Drake 3:44.91
14 Tom Parlapiano JR Villanova 3:45.32
15 Brendon Mahoney JR Georgia Tech 3:45.49
16 Hunter Spencer JR Kentucky 3:45.76
17 Nathan Robison SO Brigham Young 3:46.50
18 Kip Kangogo SO Brigham Young 3:46.95
19 Blake Boldon SR SW Missouri St. 3:47.65
20 Eric Garner JR Washington 3:47.80
21 John Russell JR Washington 3:47.92
22 David Freeman JR Kentucky 3:49.25
23 James Hatch SO Arkansas 3:49.76
24 John Jefferson SO Indiana 3:52.88
25 Paul Michel FR Colorado State 4:01.39
26 Ryan Ponsonby SO Texas 4:04.57