May 31, 2002

Junior distance runner Jennifer Handley ran the 5,000 meters at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday evening. Handley was added to the 5,000 field early this week, and the third-year harrier from Barrie, Ontario, finished 18th in 17:58.95.

Handley's late addition to the NCAA field extended the University of Notre Dame women's track and field team record competitors for a national meet to seven, as the previous best for the Irish women was two competitors in 1999 and 2000.

The women's 4x400 relay team (Liz Grow, Ayesha Boyd, Kymia Love and Kristen Dodd) will compete on Saturday in the finals, along with freshman Lauren King in the 1,500 meters. Junior Tameisha King has already earned All-America honors for the women's team, finishing seventh in the long jump on Thursday evening.