University of St. Thomas Athletics

Photo by: Wesley Dean
Desotell sets program’s third best 5K at Raleigh Relays
3/30/2024 2:16:00 PM | Women's Track & Field
Tommie trio all set personal records in Raleigh, N.C.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A trio of Tommies from St. Thomas women's track & field each set personal records at the Raleigh Relays hosted by NC State, highlighted by the program's third best 5000-meter run all-time by Molly Desotell.
Desotell finished 89th of 195 runners in the 5000m run with a time of 16:52.57, placing herself third in program history in the event behind Taylor Berg (16:33.15) set in 2013 and Debbie Thometz (16:26.89) set in 1983. Ava Pankratz also ran in the 5000m, finishing 169th in 17:36.22 to improve her personal record by over 12 seconds.
Alicia Belany closed the meet for the Tommies with a 121st place finish among 172 runners in the 800m run. She set a personal record of 2:14.79, besting her previous best time by nearly two seconds.
QUOTEABLES
Thoughts from head coach Ashley Lucas on the performances of Belany, Desotell and Pankratz:
"This was a great learning weekend for Ava (Pankratz), Molly (Desotell) and Alicia (Belany). They all walked away with outdoor personal bests, lessons learned, and experience gained. It was great for them to get into one of the best outdoor meets and compete against the best. As we continue to build the program, we want to continually raise the standards. We look forward to next week as we open the outdoor season with the entire team."
UP NEXT
The women's and men's programs will send their entire squad to La Crosse, Wis., on Saturday, April 6 to compete at the Ashton May Invitational.
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Cross Country, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWXCTF. For more information on St. Thomas Men's Cross Country, follow along on Instagram at @TommieMTFXC
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
Desotell finished 89th of 195 runners in the 5000m run with a time of 16:52.57, placing herself third in program history in the event behind Taylor Berg (16:33.15) set in 2013 and Debbie Thometz (16:26.89) set in 1983. Ava Pankratz also ran in the 5000m, finishing 169th in 17:36.22 to improve her personal record by over 12 seconds.
Alicia Belany closed the meet for the Tommies with a 121st place finish among 172 runners in the 800m run. She set a personal record of 2:14.79, besting her previous best time by nearly two seconds.
QUOTEABLES
Thoughts from head coach Ashley Lucas on the performances of Belany, Desotell and Pankratz:
"This was a great learning weekend for Ava (Pankratz), Molly (Desotell) and Alicia (Belany). They all walked away with outdoor personal bests, lessons learned, and experience gained. It was great for them to get into one of the best outdoor meets and compete against the best. As we continue to build the program, we want to continually raise the standards. We look forward to next week as we open the outdoor season with the entire team."
UP NEXT
The women's and men's programs will send their entire squad to La Crosse, Wis., on Saturday, April 6 to compete at the Ashton May Invitational.
FOLLOW ALONG
For more information on St. Thomas Women's Cross Country, follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @TommieWXCTF. For more information on St. Thomas Men's Cross Country, follow along on Instagram at @TommieMTFXC
-- St. Thomas Athletics --
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