RALEIGH, N.C. --- The Chattanooga outdoor track team sent three runners to the Raleigh Relays. Friday's action included the women's 1500 meter and 5000 meter runs.
 
Freshman Maddie Wheatcroft, running in her first collegiate outdoor track and field meet, ran the 1500 meter run at the Raleigh Relays in a time of 4:43.52.
 
"Maddie's race started out fast," Mocs head coach Andy Meyer said. "She had a good start and held her position in a very crowded field. With about 700 meters to go there was a strong acceleration that strung everyone out and she held on to finish well.
 
"For a freshman, in a very strong and crowded field, she did very well."
 
Emma Russum was just a little more than eight seconds off her personal best time in the women's 5000 meter run. She was fourth in the first heat with a time of 17:36.00.
 
"Emma's race was very hot, 87 degrees at the start," Meyer said. "We had her back off her splits a little because of the conditions. The race started pretty conservative for the first 800, then like the weather the pace heated up. Emma was able to hang on the back of a group and hold her position for the mid portion of the race.
 
"She and another runner pulled away from the group and Emma, with 600 meters to go, dropped the pace, dropping the girl and catching two others.  Emma had the fasted last 400 in her heat. She ended up just a couple seconds off her PR after starting out conservative."
 
Russum ran a steady race throughout and finished with a time of almost 1:19 in the final lap, closing in on the leaders.
 
"Overall the ladies did very well and all raced to their fullest potential which as a coach is all you can ask from your athletes," Meyer said. "All of the girls placed in the very top of their heat.  I told them if we come back next year each one of them has just raced their way into tougher, faster heats next year!"
 
 

1500 meter run
159	Maddie Wheatcroft	4:43.52
5000 meter run
145	Emma Russum	17:36.00

 
 
GREEN TAKES THIRD WITH PERSONAL RECORD AT RALEIGH RELAYS
 
RALEIGH, N.C. --- Chattanooga's Lesley Green had to wait until almost 10:00 p.m. Thursday to run her race, but she blew it out of the water with a Personal Record at the Raleigh Relays.
 
Green ran in the second heat of the 10,000 meter run, finishing third overall with a time of 34:28.85, 1:42.37 better than her previous best set at the Flames Invitational in April 2022.
 
For the first mile, Green was in the last half of the back and slowly moved up. At the 3-mile mark, she moved to the front of the chase group and posted a 17:25 time in the first 5000 meters.
 
"She took control of the chase group in Mile 4," Mocs head coach Andy Meyer said. "They began to eat into the leaders. By the last mile it was on Lesley and one other girl after the leader. They almost got her."
 
Green ran her second 5K faster than the first at 17 minutes. "It was a textbook running in strength," Meyer said.
 
Carolien Millenaar from Wake Forest was the top finisher with a time of 34:20.19.
 
Green is a two-time all-conference performer in the 10,000 meter run placing third at both the 2021 and 2022 Southern Conference Championships.
 
Chattanooga continues at the Raleigh Relays later Friday. Maddie Wheatcroft will run the 1500 meter at 4:20 p.m. Emma Russum will compete in the 5000 meter run at 6:25 p.m. Live stats are available online at GoMocs.com.