LA CROSSE, Wisc. – Brandeis University junior Doyin Ogundiran (Dix Hills, N.Y./Half Hollow Hills East) finished in 14th place in the 800-meter run today on the second day of the NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the University of Wisconsin-Lacrosse.
Competing after a three-hour rain and lightning delay, Ogundiran lived up to the 14th-seed she earned entering the meet. Running out of Lane Eight in the second of three heats, she started at the back of the pack through the first 400 meters but made her move to the front of the pack after making the first turn of lap two. She closed within shouting distance the two lead spots by the time she reached the second turn, but Ogundiran was unable to reach the top two runners that would have garnered her an automatic spot in the finals. Her final 14th-place time was 2:11.92, good for fourth place in the heat. It was Ogundiran's second-fastest time of her career and the second time she has broken 2:12.
Brandeis will have finalists in three races tomorrow on the last day of the NCAA Championships. For the women, junior Emily Bryson (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) will run in the 5,000-meter run at 3:25 PM Central time/4:25 Eastern. Bryson is in search of her sixth career All-America honor with a chance at her second national championship after having won the 3,000m indoors earlier this year. For the men, graduate student Irie Gourde (Portland, Ore./York Academy, Toronto) will run in two events, the 400-meter dash at 1:10 Central/2:10 Eastern and the 200-meter dash at 2:40 Central/3:40 Eastern.
