Striders’ Emily Ritter qualifies for NCAA DI track nationals

Senior Emily Ritter, a graduate of Sussex Tech and a resident of Millsboro, became the first woman from the Rider University track and field team to advance to the NCAA Championships, running a Rider record 9:54.34 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase May 29 in Jacksonville, Fla., at the NCAA East Regional.

“I’m excited for Emily,” said Rider head coach Bob Hamer. “She worked very hard since last year’s disappointment to get back here. She ran a great race and executed everything perfectly. I’m really proud of her.”

Overall, Ritter placed second in her heat and seventh overall out of 47 runners, with the top three runners in each of three heats and the next three top times advancing to the NCAA Championships.

The West Regional is being contested this weekend in Austin, Texas, with the top 12 qualifiers from each (24 total) advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., June 10 to 13.

Last season, competing for only the fourth time ever in the steeplechase event, Ritter ran a time of 10:53.99, placing 45th out of 48 competitors in the east at the NCAA Regional.

“I feel great,” Ritter said. “This is the first big race that I felt confident going into. I felt like I belonged in this race. There were runners in the race that I’ve faced before, and I know that I can run with them. I’m very excited right now.”

An All-East performer, Ritter qualified for the NCAA East Regional at the ECAC Championships May 15. In that meet, Ritter ran a then Rider record time of 9:55.15, placing second.

At the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Outdoor Championships at the beginning of May, Ritter had a gold (steeplechase) and a pair of silvers (1,500, 5,000) and was named the Championship Meet Most Outstanding Performer.

Ritter becomes the first woman and just the third member of the Rider track and field team to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Rider Hall of Famer Jose Lopez (’95) competed at Nationals in the 400-meter hurdles, and Desmond Hamilton competed in 2007 at Nationals in the long jump.

“To be the first female NCAA qualifier for Rider is an amazing accomplishment,” Hamer said. “It is something that will cement her legacy in Rider track and field history.”

Ritter is entering the semifinal with the fourth-fastest time in the field of 150 athletes at 9:54.3. The semifinal will be held Thursday, June 11, while the final will be held Saturday, June 13, in Eugene, Ore., at historic Haywood Field.

Florida State’s Colleen Quigley (9:33), Michigan State’s Leah O’Connor (9:41), and New Hampshire’s Elinor Purrier (9:53) are the three athletes seeded ahead of Ritter.

Besides Kai Maull, a Cape Henlopen graduate who competed at the Nationals his freshman year as a Clemson Tiger and was All-American, I do not know of any local track athlete who advanced to DI Nationals recently in our area.

Coverage of the championships will be handled by ESPN, ESPNU and ESPN3, beginning Wednesday, June 10. Good luck to Delaware’s Emily Ritter as she opens another chapter of a storybook season she will never forget.

www.gobroncs.com contributed to this story

Striders youth news

The Seashore Striders will host the Summer XC Mini-Camp Thursday, June 18 and Friday, June 19, at Delaware Seashore State Park at Indian River Inlet North Side.

The goal of the camp is to provide the Seashore Striders runners an opportunity to get a jump-start on their summer training with an organized, fun and structured activity. Some featured activities include daily runs of various distances, informative breakout sessions and discussion groups.

The cost is only $35 per camper. Contact Director Derek Shockro at 302-983-6050 or email derekshockro@yahoo.com if interested.

Youth Striders 3K races

The Youth Striders will host a series of 3K races in conjunction with some of the summer events to give younger athletes a lesser distance to focus on other than the 5K. Scheduled already is a 3K Saturday, June 13, following the Seashore Striders 5K that begins at 7:30 a.m.

The 3K XC Race will be on the fields of Rehoboth Elementary School.

The second 3K will be during the Bill Degnan 5K, which will be Sunday, June 28, at Cape Henlopen High School. The final two races will be announced at a later time.

Registration will be onsite for $15. Runners should be onsite at Rehoboth Elementary School by 7:30 a.m., to walk the course for the 8:30 a.m. start.

Upcoming races

Last weekend, the Striders hosted the Milton Mile, the Lewes Habitat 5K and the Rehoboth 5K Run for a busy triple race weekend. Add a graduation and a graduation party on top, and it becomes a jam-packed weekend. This weekend is a bit lighter, as the Blue-Gold 5K will be held Saturday, June 6 at 8 a.m. at Irish Eyes in Lewes for the Seashore Striders. Races2run will host the Color Run later that morning at 10 a.m. in Dewey, as well as the inaugural Stop, Drop & Run 5K Sunday at the Lewes Fire Station at 8:30 a.m.