Fouda Takes Ninth, Keenan Tenth in 5,000m at NCAA Track & Field Championships

CANTON, N.Y. -- Wellesley College track & field junior Priyanka Fouda (Wellesley, Mass.) finished in ninth place and sophomore Mary Keenan (Boerne, Texas) followed in tenth in the 5,000m Run at the 2015 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships at Saint Lawrence University's Merrick-Pinkard Track. 

Fouda recorded a time of 17.22.29, narrowly missing All-America honors as Alison Maxwell of Middlebury took eighth at 17:20.64. Keenan was the next to cross the line with a time of 17.34.67. Melissa Skiba of Cal Lutheran won the event with at time of 17.04.04. 

The field got out to a slow pace over the first four laps before a lead pack of runners, including both Fouda and Keenan, started to pull away. Both Wellesley runners held on to top-ten spots as the pace quickened, with Fouda running just steps behind Keenan.  

Fouda would eventually make her move into the top eight, passing Keenan, as she chased down the lead runners. The Wellesley junior held the eighth spot until the home stretch of the race when she was narrowly passed by Maxwell. Keenan came in just over 12 seconds after Fouda to help the Blue secure two top-ten times. 

Both Wellesley runners improved on their qualifying seeds, as Keenan entered as the 18th ranked runner in the field thanks to her ECAC Championship and personal record time of 17:10.74. Fouda, who qualified thanks to her runner-up and personal record time of 17:13.10 at the ECAC Championships, jumped from the 21st seed in the field to finish ninth overall. 

Today's event concludes the 2014-15 season for the Blue track & field program.