Sara Vaughn to Compete at NCAA Cross Country Championships
11/21/2008 12:00:00 AM
Nov. 21, 2008
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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Freshman Sara Vaughn will travel to Terre Haute, Ind. this weekend to compete at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships hosted by Indiana State University. The race will take place on the LaVern Gibson Championship Course located at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center. Vaughn qualified for the NCAA Championships last weekend as an individual qualifier.
Vaughn is having a great start to her running career at The University of Alabama. She seemingly transitioned from the high school level to the Division 1 ranks as soon as she toed the line for her first race with the Crimson Tide.
Vaughn led the Tide in every meet during the 2008 season and finished in the top 20 in every race this year. In her first time out, Vaughn immediately raced to the front of the pack and finished in second place. She followed that race with two first place finishes that led to her being named SEC Athlete of the Week two straight weeks (Sept. 23 and Sept. 30). Vaughn was also named SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season (Sept. 23 and Oct. 21).
Vaughn continued to rack up awards throughout the rest of the season. At the SEC Cross Country Championships, she was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the All-SEC Second Team with her 10th place finish. Vaughn led the team to a seventh place finish, marking the school's highest finish at the SEC Championships since 2000.
Two weeks later, the team competed at the NCAA South Region Cross Country Championships where they had not placed in the top 10 since 2000. Vaughn led the team to an eighth place team finish marking the school's highest finish since 1999. Vaughn was also named to the All-South Region Team with her seventh place finish which earned her a trip to the NCAA Championships.
Vaughn has improved her 5,000 meter time by almost one minute since joining the Crimson Tide under cross country coach Randy Hasenbank. Her time of 17:17.95 is the fifth fastest 5,000m time in the SEC this year. Vaughn also holds the 10th fastest 6,000m (20:59.06) time in the SEC this year and leads all freshmen at 4,000 meters by almost 20 seconds.
Vaughn has etched her name into the Alabama record books as well with the No. 3 mark all-time at 6,000m. She holds the No. 15 mark at 5,000m and the No. 9 mark on Alabama's home cross country course.
Vaughn will toe the line with the nation's best on Monday, Nov. 24 in Terre Haute, Ind. She will be the first Alabama female cross country runner to compete at the NCAA Championships since 2006.
The women's 6,000 meter race is schedule for 12:08 p.m. ET on Monday, Nov. 24. The championship races will be broadcast live on CBS College Sports Network and streamed online via NCAA.com.
Quotes from Coach Randy Hasenbank:
On what Vaughn brings to the team:
"She's certainly the type of athlete you can build a program around. I'm looking for her to go to the national meet and be very, very competitive. She's not the type of athlete that is just `happy to be here'. She is a fiercely competitive athlete with a winner's mentality."
On how this experience will help Vaughn:
"I think it sets the bar at a whole different level from this point forward. I think every young athlete aspires to get into this meet and it is very difficult to make it. I know many athletes do everything right and never make it to the national championship so to toe the line as a freshman speaks volumes of her abilities and her preparation."
Quotes from Coach Sandy Fowler:
On Vaughn's season thus far:
"She's had a fantastic season. One thing I like about her is she's full of guts and glory and she's not afraid of anything or anyone. I think that's something that makes a great athlete, especially with her event being cross country and middle distance running."
On how this experience will help Vaughn:
"I think the experience she's going to get out of this meet is going to be far and beyond anything that she could even dream of. Just getting there as a freshman means absolutely everything and then from that point on, you just move up and move forward and just keep moving in the right direction."
