Muscaro Wins 400m National Title, Becomes First Individual Champion in School History
Links: Results (400m Final)
PITTSBURG, Kansas – After a runner-up finish to Ayana Walker of Shorter University in the 400m final at last year's NCAA Indoor Championships, junior captain Carly Muscaro (Ashland, Mass.) of the currently 17th-ranked Merrimack College women's track & field team claimed redemption on Saturday evening, as Muscaro beat Walker by more than half of a second in the 400m dash to claim the national title and first-ever individual national crown in Merrimack College history.
The Basics
Event: 2016 NCAA 400m National Championship
Finish: Carly Muscaro – 400m National Champion (52.34)
Location: Pittsburg State University | Pittsburg, Kansas
How It Happened
Muscaro captures her first-ever national title after finishing second in the 400m at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships, as well as three runner-up finishes in the same event at the 2013-15 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Muscaro earned the second seed for the final in the preliminary round on Friday after entering the championships with the fastest time in the nation. In an interesting twist of fate, Muscaro fell to Walker in the preliminary round only to beat her in the championship race, when in 2015 Muscaro beat Walker in the preliminary round, and then fell to Walker in the final.
Muscaro bested Walker by more than half of a second in the final, running an incredible time of 52.34 to improve her New England Intercollegiate record and Division II-best time in the event from earlier in the season (52.43) for the second-best time in Division II history. Her remarkable run fell just 0.14 seconds short of the all-time Division II collegiate record.
The Ashland, Massachusetts native's national title caps off the most decorated season in program history. On her way to the national crown, Muscaro also claimed the New England title in the 400m, the Northeast-10 Conference 200m and 400m titles, as well as the NE-10 Co-Most Outstanding Track Performer. The junior also set two New England Intercollegiate records (400m, 500m) as well as earning two consecutive U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Athlete of the Week honors.
Finally getting over the hump of capturing a national title in the 2015-16 indoor season, Muscaro will now look to do the same in the outdoor season as she and the rest of the Warriors look to continue to have their best year ever in competition beginning Saturday, March 26 at the Bridgewater State Bears Invitational.
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