QU Women’s Cross Country and Track Alumni Alexandra “Sasha” Varanka Qualifies for 2016 Olympic Marathon Trials
1/8/2016 1:16:00 PM | Women's Outdoor Track & Field, Women's Cross Country, Women's Indoor Track & Field
Varanka Becomes First Bobcat in School History to Qualify for Olympic Team Trials
HAMDEN, Connecticut – Former Quinnipiac women's cross country and track and field student-athlete Alexandra "Sasha" Varanka '09 was selected to participate in the upcoming 2016 Team USA Olympic Marathon Trials on February 13, 2016 out in Los Angeles. Varanka's time of 2:43.19 from the 2014 Chicago Marathon earned her a qualifying spot for the United States' Olympics Trials. With the announcement, Varanka becomes the first Bobcat in program history to qualify for an Olympic Team Trials.
On February 13, 2016 the nation's top marathoners will take to the streets of Los Angeles to attempt to qualify for the United States Olympic Team in Rio. NBC will be airing the Olympic Trials beginning at 1 PM Eastern Time. Only three runners per gender will make Team USA. This marks the first time in U.S. Olympic Team Trials history that the men's and women's marathons will be televised live nationally. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will live stream the coverage.
"We are incredibly proud of Sasha and how she has finally achieved a goal she had worked so hard for," said Quinnipiac cross country and track and field head coach Carolyn Martin, who helped guide Varanka as an assistant coach all throughout her career at Quinnipiac. "This is a huge accomplishment for her and for Quinnipiac to have an alumni at the Olympic Trials for the first time in school history. It takes true dedication and desire to reach that next level and perform up to the standards to which she is meeting. She is a very driven athlete and person and has had the trails her in sight for the last five years. She is a great role model for our current student-athletes as she is a living example of making your dreams achievable."
Her time of 2:43.19 in the Chicago Marathon nearly had her in range of the originally declared qualification standard time of 2:42.59 that was required for the Olympic Trails in the marathon. Recently the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) changed their standard to 2:44.59 so more countries would get more athletes to qualify for the trials. The United States of America Track & Field (USATF) just followed their revision and now Varanka is officially gearing up for the Olympic Trails.
A four-year contributor to the Quinnipiac cross country and track programs, Varanka graduated in 2009 after helping lead the Bobcats to four Northeast Conference championships in cross country (2006-09). A former All-New England performer in the outdoor 10,000m, Varanka was a distinguished distance runner in her time as a Bobcat, setting personal bests of 38:38 (9th all-time at Quinnipiac) in the 10k and 18:20 in the 5k events.
Her recent triumph in the Chicago Marathon comes on the heels of a rigorous training regimen specializing in distance running that culminated in what is a personal-best marathon time of 2:43:19. Beginning the Marathon at 7:49 am local time in Chicago, Varanka peaked at a pace of 5:58 per-mile before finishing the event with an overall pace of 6:14 per-mile for the entire 26.2 mile marathon. Varanka's time of 2:43:19 was good enough for 13th place in her age group of 25-29, 27th overall for all female competitors and 253rd overall amongst all competitors (male or female).
On February 13, 2016 the nation's top marathoners will take to the streets of Los Angeles to attempt to qualify for the United States Olympic Team in Rio. NBC will be airing the Olympic Trials beginning at 1 PM Eastern Time. Only three runners per gender will make Team USA. This marks the first time in U.S. Olympic Team Trials history that the men's and women's marathons will be televised live nationally. NBC Sports Live Extra – NBC Sports Group's live streaming product for desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs – will live stream the coverage.
"We are incredibly proud of Sasha and how she has finally achieved a goal she had worked so hard for," said Quinnipiac cross country and track and field head coach Carolyn Martin, who helped guide Varanka as an assistant coach all throughout her career at Quinnipiac. "This is a huge accomplishment for her and for Quinnipiac to have an alumni at the Olympic Trials for the first time in school history. It takes true dedication and desire to reach that next level and perform up to the standards to which she is meeting. She is a very driven athlete and person and has had the trails her in sight for the last five years. She is a great role model for our current student-athletes as she is a living example of making your dreams achievable."
Her time of 2:43.19 in the Chicago Marathon nearly had her in range of the originally declared qualification standard time of 2:42.59 that was required for the Olympic Trails in the marathon. Recently the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) changed their standard to 2:44.59 so more countries would get more athletes to qualify for the trials. The United States of America Track & Field (USATF) just followed their revision and now Varanka is officially gearing up for the Olympic Trails.A four-year contributor to the Quinnipiac cross country and track programs, Varanka graduated in 2009 after helping lead the Bobcats to four Northeast Conference championships in cross country (2006-09). A former All-New England performer in the outdoor 10,000m, Varanka was a distinguished distance runner in her time as a Bobcat, setting personal bests of 38:38 (9th all-time at Quinnipiac) in the 10k and 18:20 in the 5k events.
Her recent triumph in the Chicago Marathon comes on the heels of a rigorous training regimen specializing in distance running that culminated in what is a personal-best marathon time of 2:43:19. Beginning the Marathon at 7:49 am local time in Chicago, Varanka peaked at a pace of 5:58 per-mile before finishing the event with an overall pace of 6:14 per-mile for the entire 26.2 mile marathon. Varanka's time of 2:43:19 was good enough for 13th place in her age group of 25-29, 27th overall for all female competitors and 253rd overall amongst all competitors (male or female).
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