April 08, 2008
Ballinger earns GLVC honor
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Mary Ballinger |
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana sophomore
Mary Ballinger (Chesterton, Indiana) has been named the GLVC Women's Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Ballinger won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the SEMOtion Relays this past weekend, recording the nation's top mark with an NCAA II automatic qualifying time of 10 minutes, 48.49 seconds. The time exceeded the automatic qualifying standard by nearly 12 seconds and was less than six seconds off the USI school record, set by former All-American Missy Burgin a year ago.
This marks the second weekly honor for Ballinger this year after she was named the GLVC Runner of the Week during the cross country campaign. Ballinger earned All-America honors on the cross country course this past fall as well as in indoor track, where she was second in the 5,000 meters at the NCAA II Indoor Championships in March.
Ballinger, a Chesterton High School graduate and finance major at USI, transferred to USI from Indiana University/Purdue University-Ft. Wayne where she set the school record in the steeplechase last spring.
The Screaming Eagles return to action Friday and Saturday when they compete at the Little State Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana. USI will not compete at the Chico Distance Carnival this weekend as originally scheduled.
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
