Genni Gardner Places 20th At NCAA Championship

June 7, 2007

Butler junior Genni Gardner ran the second-fastest time of her collegiate career and placed 20th in the semifinals of the women's 5,000 meter run at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday (June 6). She topped her seed position entering the race, but narrowly missed advancing to the event finals on Friday (June 8).

Gardner, who was seeded 25th in the women's 5,000 meter run at the national meet, placed 13th in her heat with a time of 16:30.79. Earlier this spring, she posed a career-best time of 16:26.82 at the Penn Relays.

"Genni ran really well," said Butler coach Joe Franklin after the race. "She was running in a strong field, and she competed very well."

Ten of the 16 runners who advanced to Friday's finals came out of Gardner's heat. The sixth runner to qualify for the finals from the first heat was just two seconds faster than Gardner's time.