Curham represents Princeton at NCAA Championships

?Battling illness and steep competition, sophomore MeganCurhamwon 10thplace in the 5K at the NCAA Indoor Championships this past weekend.

Curham, a star yearlong runner, was the only Princeton Track and Field athlete—among both the men’s and women’s teams—to qualify for the championships, representing the Tigers at the sport’s top level.Bythe end of the day, shehadran with the top 16 athletes in the event and walked away withAll-American Honors.

?The annual NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships amass the top qualifying athletes from across the nationand mark running’s transition from indoor to outdoorevents. This year, the tournament was hosted in Fayetteville, Ark. from Friday March 13 to Saturday March 14, with athletes representing over 80 different schools.

?Two weeks prior to the Championships,Curhamwon 1stplace in the 5K at the Ivy LeagueHeptagonals, featuring the conference’s top athletes. Her time of 16:01.59, just over her PR of 16:00.71, not only made her the fifth fastest 5K runner in Ivy Heptagonal history, but also earned her the 15thof 16 qualifying seeds at the NCAA Championships.

?Heading intothe eventon Friday,Curhamfaced numerous disadvantages, making her a prime underdog contenderfor the Tigers.Just a week before the event,Curhamsuffered an unfortunate sinus infection. While the star runner said she’d mostly recovered, there’s no doubtCurhamalso faced a mental battle tomaintainfocusafter months of preparation. Furthermore, despite her conference shattering times, 13 of her opponents had run sub-16 minute 5Ks, a barrier thatCurhamhas yet to break.

?At last, the stage was set for the runon Fridaynight. Televised on ESPN3, the event featured athletes from some of the top Track and Field schools in the nation, including Arkansas and Oregon, as well as the country'stop college5K runner: Emily Sisson,whoserecord-breakingPR of15:12.22 competes without comparison.During the heat of the race,Curhampersevered and stayed within the main pack, peaking at 8thplace by the 2000 meter mark. Battling off EmilySittesof William and Mary,Curhamfinished five places above her initial qualifying rank.

?AlthoughCurhamdidn’t reach her personal goal of 8thplace, she showcased an amazing performance for her first run at the NCAA Indoor Championships and boasts a bright future. As one ofonlyfive underclassmen atFriday’scompetition,Curham’sindoor prospects remain high for the years to come.

More impressively, withFriday’sAll-American Honor,Curhamhas become only the second athlete in Princeton history to complete the trifecta and earn All-American Honors in Cross Country,Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field. With four Honors and just in her sophomore year,Curhamis on pace to smash Princeton’s record of five All-American Honors, set byCackFerrelin 2006.

Curhamand the rest of the Women’s Track and Field team now progress onto spring training and the Outdoor season. As a lover of distance,Curhamyearns for the longer distances offered in the spring. Hopefully, she will continue her success at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June.