AMHERST, N.Y. – Mackenzie Donahue (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) of the Daemen College women's track and field team has been named the East Coast Conference Track Athlete of the Week for competitions held April 10 through April 16. The official announcement was made via the league's weekly track and field report which was released this afternoon form the conference headquarters in Central Islip, N.Y.
Donahue, a 5-foot-2 senior, recorded the fastest 10,000-meter time of any female Division II athlete this season at the Brockport Golden Eagle Friday Night Invite this past Friday. The long distance standout topped the field with a time of 35:35.11, surpassing the preceding top time in the country of 35;36.72. Her performance also established a new Daemen record, she eclipsed her previous benchmark of 36:37.71 which she set at the Cardinal Last Chance Meet last May.
Donahue's time bettered the provisional qualifying time for the NCAA Division II National Championship meet. The 10,000-meter run provisional qualifying time for the championships is 36:56.30, and beating that mark Donahue has put herself in contention for an invitation to the national championship meet will take place at the end of May.
Donahue is no stranger to success in racing, especially at the national level. She became the first indoor track and field athlete from Daemen to participate in a national championship event. The track and field star ran to a 13th-place finish in the 5,000-meter run competition at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track and Field National Championship meet. For the outdoor track and field team, Donahue holds three individual records and five for the indoor record books.
Donahue, along with teammates Kyra Kress, Amy Trabert, Tiffany Cycon and Ellory Roberts should be in contention for all-league honors at this weekend's East Coast Conference Championship meet.
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