The DMR Relay (L-R) Shandon Lystad, Cassidy Brown, Sarah Estabrook & Lily Engelbrekt
NU DMR Runs Best Time in NAIA This Season
SEATTLE, Wash. - The NU women's distance medley relay team ran the second best time in Eagle track & field history running a 12:04.35* and the best time in the NAIA at the University of Washington Indoor Invitational Friday night in the Dempsey Indoor Facility. It is the top time in the NAIA for the event so far this season by over 11 seconds. The Eagles finished fourth in their heat and 11th over all as the only NAIA team competing in a field of 18 teams from NCAA Division I and II schools. NU finished behind schools such as winner Stanford, Washington, Nevada, Montana, and California.
*There will be a minor adjustment to the time due to the configuration of the Husky track, but their time stands as the No. 1 time in the NAIA so far this season!
Said Eagle coach, Mark Mandi after the race, "I'm really excited for these women. They've continued to push each other to get better. They know they have more work to do with NAIA Indoor Nationals five weeks away, but we're going to enjoy this performance right now, thanking God for getting this group of women fit and healthy enough to perform at this level."
Mandi on the race, "I thought each one of the four women had great execution. Lily Engelbrekt did a wonderful job staying in the mix for the first leg (1,200m) which put Shandon in position to compete well in her first track race since last year. Shandon Lystad did just that and ran the best season-opening 400m time I've ever seen her run and then handing it off to Sarah Estabrook. While Sarah has been more of a longer distance specialist in college she raced the 800m leg like a seasoned veteran, running a big lifetime best for that distance and giving Cassidy Brown the baton in great position for the final leg. Healthy and eager to race a distance that she loves, Cassidy continued on with the torrid pace her teammates had set and battled her way to a 4th place finish. She was able to run under 5 minutes for 1,600m for the first time in her running career. A great day for everyone."