Leigh Daniel Runs To All-American Finish At Nationals
November 22, 1999 | Women's Cross Country
Nov. 22, 1999
BLOOMINGTON, Ind., - Texas Tech cross country athlete Leigh Daniel entered today's NCAA Championship race in Bloomington, Ind., as a favorite to earn All-American honors. Daniel delivered and then some, finishing sixth out of 254 runners to earn All-American status bestowed upon the top 13 finishers.
The finish is the best ever for a Texas Tech cross country athlete and caps a season in which Daniel helped lead her team to a fifth place finish at the Big 12 Championships and a No. 28 ranking in the national polls.
"I felt terrible today", Daniel said after the race. "I am proud of the sixth place finish. The way I felt today and the way I felt the last couple of races really, I think my body was just getting tired. I had to struggle just to stay in the race. A sixth place effort was good for today."
Daniel finished the 5,000-meter championship race in a time of 16:51.40. Wisconsin's Erica Palmer won the race with a time of 16:39.50. Daniel was the top Big 12 finisher. Colorado's Kara Wheeler, who had defeated Daniel in their two previous meetings this season, finished in ninth place.
"This was a very deep field, maybe the best ever for the NCAA," Tech cross country coach Dave Smith said. "Coming into the race, I felt Leigh could go anywhere from first to 20th because the field was so strong.
"With about 1,000-meters to go she was really hurting. It was at the point where she had to decide if she was going to give or go, but she sucked it up and went. She actually got stronger because she was in 12th place at that time and moved up."