Michigan
NCAA Outdoor Championships
All-American Rynda Opens NCAAs for Wolverine Women
6/10/2021 10:31:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Site: Eugene, Ore. (Hayward Field)
Event: NCAA Outdoor Championships (Day 1 of 2)
U-M Result: No team score
Next U-M Event: Saturday, June 12 -- at NCAA Outdoor Championships - Day 2 (Eugene, Ore.), 4:55 p.m. PDT
EUGENE, Ore. -- Mid-distance runner Aurora Rynda earned second team All-America honors on Thursday (June 10) as the University of Michigan women's track and field team opened up competition at the NCAA Outdoor Championships at the renovated Hayward Field at the University of Oregon.
Already a two-time indoor relay All-American and a three-time Big Ten champion, Rynda added "individual All-American" to her resume as she finished 14th overall in the 800-meter semifinals in 2:04.91 for second-team honors.
She went out hard from the gun in an attempt to lay down a fast time that could stand up for an at-large qualifier, if it came to that. With 500 meters to go, she had to sidestep a collision just ahead of her to her right that took out two of her competitors. At the bell, she was running fifth in a strung-out pack that crossed the halfway point faster than 59 seconds. She was able to hold with the leaders until she started to lose contact at around 600 meters, and she could not rally over the final 100-meter straightaway to try to bolster her time.
She finished her heat -- the first of three -- in position for the third and final at-large spot, but she was bumped out of it by the finishers from the second heat. Her collegiate season may be done, but she is a likely qualifier for the Canadian Olympic trials later this month based on her 2:01.35 best from the NCAA East Prelims.
Her performance came in a race directly following teammate Ziyah Holman's debut at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter semifinals. The two-time Big Ten champion, relay All-American and three-time school record-holder got out fast in her heat -- the third of three -- and appeared to be the intermediate leader at the halfway point.
By the time the field came off the curve onto the homestretch, she was running sixth and was unable to charge late like she did at the NCAA East Preliminaries two weekends ago.
Sixth is where she would finish in her heat in 52.64, good for 18th place overall for USTFCCCA honorable mention honors. Like Rynda, Holman has Olympic aspirations as she is registered for and awaiting acceptance into the U.S. Olympic Trials later this month on the same Hayward Field track on which she ran today.
Also earning honorable mention status for the Wolverines was three-time relay All-American Alice Hill in the 3,000-meter steeplechase as she finished 20th in 10:04.21. She ran at the back of the lead pack early before falling off the pace midway through the race and finishing ninth in her heat to eliminate herself from contention for a berth to the final.
Hill also is entered into the U.S. Olympic Trials on her 9:54.19 from earlier this year, and is awaiting potential acceptance into the meet.
Closing out Michigan's lineup on the day was Jessi Larson, who also earned honorable mention with a 21st-place finish at 10,000 meters in 33:54.70. She ran well within the pack in the first half of the race, even running the race's split at the 4,000-meter checkpoint with a 1:19.34 lap. As the pace picked up in the final third of the race, Larson was unable to keep pace and dropped back.
Michigan will conclude its collegiate track and field season on Saturday (June 11) when Ericka VanderLende contests the 5,000-meter final at 4:55 p.m. PDT.
Full Michigan Results be Event
Q = automatic qualifier to quarterfinals; q = at-large qualifier to quarterfinals
400 meter dash
Semifinals
18. Ziyah Holman / 52.64
800 meter run
Semifinals
14. Aurora Rynda / 2:04.91
Steeplechase
Semifinals
20. Alice Hill / 10:04.21
10,000 meter run
Final
21. Jessi Larson / 33:54.70
Players Mentioned
