Kelly Russ gets MIAC weekly honor for Women's Track

February 08, 2010

St. Thomas All-American Kelly Russ (SR-Plymouth/Wayzata) Monday was named MIAC Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week.

Russ finished first in the mile at Saturday's Wartburg Select Meet. Her time of 4:58.76 was an NCAA provisional qualifying mark that places her fourth on the Division III national performance list. Russ also sits atop the MIAC indoor 2010 mile list by more than 10 seconds.

Russ has been a member of the Tommies' distance-medley team that has placed second nationally indoors in 2008 and 2009 and also won the Drake Relays crown in outdoor track last April.

Russ was a four-time All-MIAC cross country runner and last October was named MIAC Athlete of the Week.

Last May, she placed seventh at nationals in the 1,500 meters in 4:32.66, just .43 of a second off her career-best time. She also had two top-three individual places at the 2009 MIAC outdoor meet.

In Russ career, St. Thomas has won nine of a possible 10 team championships in cross country, indoor and outdoor track.