ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Heading into Saturday’s home meet – the first outdoor meet of the season for the College of Saint Benedict track and field team – Kiley Green’s name wasn’t anywhere on the Blazers’ list of top-10 outdoor records.
Green changed that Saturday afternoon.
The junior distance runner won the 5,000-meter run, set a new personal record and launched herself into the top five on the school’s all-time best chart at the CSB|SJU Invite, held at Clemens Stadium. For her performance, Green has been named the Blazer Athlete of the Week.
Prior to Saturday’s meet, Green’s best outdoor time in the 5,000 was 18:53.8, run April 12, 2014, at the CSB|SJU Outdoor Invite. Her best-ever time in the event, indoor or outdoor, was 18:45.32, which she ran at this year’s MIAC Indoor Championships at Concordia.
Saturday, the Draper, Utah, native took nearly 40 seconds off of her personal best and won the event in 18:09.73. Her time was good for not only a new PR and a win, but also the 23
rd-best time in Division III so far this outdoor season and also the second-best time in Blazer outdoor history.
Green’s mark sits just 13 seconds behind Margot Branigan, who set the school record in the 5,000 in 17:56.21 at the 2008 MIAC Outdoor Championships. Green is the only current Blazer in the top 10 in the 5,000.
Green’s latest big race comes just weeks after she ran a personal best and finished eighth in the 5,000-meter run at the MIAC Indoor Championships. She cut nearly 10 seconds off her best time of the season and scored points for CSB in a time of 18:45.32. She just missed out on All-Conference Honorable Mention accolades, which are given to the fourth through sixth-place finishers.
Green and the Blazers are off now until April 11-12 when they host the CSB|SJU Quad and Multi Events. The meet will be held at Clemens Stadium on the SJU campus.
