ASU's Hastings Sets U.S. Collegiate Indoor Record at Dempsey
A stunning 95 NCAA Championships qualifiers at UW's indoor regular-season finale.

Feb. 10, 2007


SEATTLE - Washington athletes combined for two school records and seven NCAA qualifying performances
at Saturday's Husky Classic at Dempsey Indoor, but Arizona State's Amy Hastings stole the show, 
crushing the American collegiate indoor record in the women's 5,000 meters.

Hastings' time of 15 minutes, 30.17 seconds was more than four seconds faster than the previous 
American collegiate indoor record of 15:34.5 which had stood for nearly 26 years since being set 
by Virginia's Margaret Gross in 1981.

Despite running the third-fastest time in the nation this year, runner-up Lindsey Anderson of Weber 
State finished nearly a lap behind Hastings, who pulled away from the field early on and ran largely 
without competition, though cheered at every step by the nearly 2,000 spectators lining the Dempsey 
infield. In addition to crushing the previous U.S. indoor collegiate record, Hastings' time ranks 
No. 1 on the 2006 NCAA and U.S. performance lists, and is the fourth-fastest time in the world this 
year.

For all its significance, Hastings' mark was just one of a stunning 95 NCAA qualifying performances 
by collegiate athletes at the meet, including 13 automatic qualifiers and 82 provisional marks.

Wisconsin's Chris Solinsky led a qualifying parade in the men's 5,000 meters, his winning time of 
13:30.74 the fastest in the world so far this year, and six seconds faster than the previous facility 
record of 13:36.48 set by former Badgers teammate Matt Tegenkamp at the 2005 Husky Classic. Solinsky 
will see many of the runners who lined up next to him Saturday alongside him again at the NCAA 
Championships in March, as six collegiate runners bettered the NCAA's automatic qualifying standard, 
and another 11 earned provisional berths.

Chico State's Scott Bauhs, who despite being the only DII athlete in a loaded field, placed seventh 
out of 18 runners in a time of 13 minutes, 49.4 seconds (splits: 4:25, 8:50).  While this is the fastest 
50000m in school history, it won't count as a school record or allow him to run DI indooor nationals since 
Chico State does not have an indoor track program. However it probably will qualify him for the U.S. 
National Outdoor Championships this June in Indianapolis.

Prior to this weekend, just five collegiate men's runners had run below 14:06 in the 5,000 meters, a 
total eclipsed by 15 competitors in Saturday's Husky Classic.

"When you look at the start list for the 5,000 meters at the NCAA Championships, it's possible that 
all but 2-3 guys in the field will be there based on what they did today," said fifth-year head coach 
Greg Metcalf, "and you can really tell our fans appreciate that. They were going nuts during that 
first heat of the 5K, and I could barely hear myself shouting during Amy Hastings' last couple of 
laps around the track. It's fun to be a part of that kind of excitement and energy."