Oct. 29, 2007
IOWA CITY, IA–Three members of the University of Iowa women’s cross country team have earned all-Big Ten honors. Diane Nukuri, a senior from Pickering, Ontario, and Meghan Armstrong, a senior from Tualatin, OR, were named first team all-Big Ten, while Jolly Burke, a sophomore from Waunakee, WI, earned second-team accolades. Iowa and Michigan State University each had three all-league choices, tying for the most.
Nukuri, a senior from Pickering, Ontario, has led the Hawkeyes this season and has three Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors. Nukuri won the individual title at the Big Ten Championships in a school and course record breaking time of 19:37. The time shattered the course record by over 45 seconds and the school record by nearly 30 seconds. She was Iowa’s first individual champion since Tracy Dahl in 1992. Nukuri also won the Hawkeye Invitational September 15 in a school and course record breaking 4,000-meter time of 13:14. She won the Auburn Invitational September 29 in a school and course record breaking 5,000-meter time of 15:55.
Armstrong, a senior from Tualatin, OR, has set three personal best times this season and been a consistent runner. She competed well at the Big Ten Championships, placing fourth in a personal best 20:08, shaving off nearly 20 seconds. She had a strong outing at the Hawkeye Invitational with a time of 13:47 which was nearly 45-seconds faster then her previous best. Armstrong placed third at the Auburn Invite with a personal best 16:25 to help lead the Hawkeyes to a win.
Burke, a sophomore from Waunakee, WI, has constantly finished among the top three Hawkeyes in every meet and has set a personal best in all four meets. She placed ninth at the Big Ten meet in a personal best 20:20. She ran her first 4,000-meter race at the Hawkeye Invitational in the time of 14:03. Burke set a personal best at the Auburn Invite with a time of 16:33, which was nearly 30-seconds faster then her previous best.
Iowa’s next competition will be the NCAA Midwest Regional on Saturday, November 10, in Peoria, IL.
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