Nov. 15, 2004
YPSILANTI, Mich. - Senior Amber Ferner has managed to do something that no other female distance runner has done in a generation - qualify for the NCAA Championships. The senior out of West Lafayette finished 20th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships on Sunday, earning an individual place in the championship field.
The last Purdue female to run in the NCAA Championships in cross country was Becky Cotto in 1982.
Ferner and three teammates competed in Sunday's 6,000m race in Ypsilanti, Mich., the home of Eastern Michigan University. Joining Ferner was fellow senior Kara Lahey (Lockport, Ill.), and juniors Laura Farley (Indianapolis, Ind.) and Corrie Whisner (West Chester, Ohio).
Ferner completed the 6k course in a time of 20:54.2, the first sub-21:00 6k by a Boilermaker female in the history of the program. Her previous personal best was a 21:48.9 at the 2003 NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Terre Haute, Ind.
The prior record for a Purdue female in the 6k was 21:36.0 set by Lindsay Zinn at the 2001 NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Zinn finished 19th in that race.
Lahey was the next Boilermaker to cross the finish line in Sunday's race, placing 35th with a time of 21:11.2, followed by Whisner (65th, 21:39.0) and Farley (93rd, 22:13.6).
All four Boilermaker runners set new personal bests.
Ferner will run at the 2004 NCAA Championships on Monday, Nov. 22, at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Ind. The race is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.