CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Queens, if everyone runs to form, could have a women’s individual national track champion this week.
Maybe two.
But, no one knows better than Royals distance runner
Tanya Zeferjahn (Hesperia, Calif., Hesperia High School) that seedings and qualifying times don’t always carry through to the championship race.
Last year, Zeferjahn was seeded 10in the 10,000-meter race. She surprised many by winning the national title.
This year, Zeferjahn is the top seed as she tries to win a second straight title. Being a huge favorite - her qualifying time is 27 seconds better than any competitor – is no guarantee.
The NCAA Division II championships begin Thursday at the Irwin Belk Track Complex at nearby Johnson C. Smith University.
“It is still up in the air,” said Zeferjahn, a graduate student from Hesperia, Calif. “I just need to go in and run smart. I’m confident and excited. This is my last collegiate race, so I’ve got nothing to lose and there are titles to win.”
Zeferjahn also is the top seed in the women’s 5,000-meter race. Her seeding time of 16:03.51 is 10 seconds better than runner-up Neely Spence (Shippensburg State).
“I think I have a really good chance in the 10-K, and there are some really good girls in the 5K,” Zeferjahn said. “Being at the national meet last year will definitely help my confidence a lot. I’ve learned that the (10-K) race is more tactical than time-based. The race sort of starts about halfway through.”
Zeferjahn said her fitness level is good, and has been aided by “a solid year of training” that wasn’t disrupted by injury.
It will also be the first time Zeferjahn has run the 5,000- and 10,000-meter races at the same meet. Working in her favor – she’s accustomed to Charlotte’s heat and humidity, and the JCSU track, where she often trains.
Queens Track Coach Scott Simmons said Zeferjahn should benefit from national-meet experience.
“I think it will give her confidence,” he said. “Last year, she did it right and has followed that same plan. She should have expectations of a similar result. She’s in better shape than when she ran 33:09 (her top qualifying time in the 10-K).”
Teammate Meagan Nedlo will push Zeferjahn in both distance events. She’s also a graduate student, and has benefited from training with Zeferjahn.
Nedlo is seeded fourth in the 10,000 meters, and ninth in the 5,000 meters.
“I’m more excited than nervous,” she said. “It’s our home track. Friends and classmates will be there, and they usually don’t have chances to see us run.”
Nedlo has rebounded from a stress fracture in her femur during cross-country season last fall. She went nine weeks without running, and returned to the track on New Year’s Eve.
“I’ve never doubled (ran in both races) before,” Nedlo said. “There are 10 girls running in both races. I think another factor is the weather. It’s very humid here, and will hopefully play to our advantage.”