Mt. San Antonio College Relays : UC Irvine Runners Qualify for Nationals in 1,500 Meters

Judy McLaughlin and Buffy Rabbitt of UC Irvine qualified for the NCAA track and field championships in a 1,500-meter race Sunday in the Mt. San Antonio College Relays at Walnut.

McLaughlin, a senior, placed fourth in 4 minutes, 18.03 seconds, seven seconds faster than her previous personal record. Rabbitt, a sophomore, was fifth in 4:18.38.

Both runners surpassed the NCAA qualifying mark of 4:19.75. The collegiate championships are scheduled for June 1-4 at Eugene, Ore.

McLaughlin, who Friday night missed qualifying in the 3,000-meters by 2.4 seconds, said: “During the race I kept thinking, ‘I’m so tired, I’m exhausted. But then I’d just push through it to sort of rejuvenate myself.”

McLaughlin and Rabbitt ran together throughout the race, staying close to a pack of five leaders for the 3 1/2-lap race. The two covered the first 800 meters in 2:16.

In the final 100 meters, race leader Leah Pells of Simon Fraser University (British Columbia) put on a finishing kick to win in 4:14.94.