UCI’s Rabbitt Qualifies for 3,000-Meter Final

Running a conservative race into a cold wind and through an intermittent drizzle Wednesday, Buffy Rabbitt of UC Irvine advanced to the finals of the 3,000 meters at the NCAA track and field championships at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field.

Rabbitt needed to finish fourth in her heat to qualify for Friday’s final, and she did just that, with a time of 9 minutes 17.10 seconds. Her time held up as the fourth-fastest out of two qualifying heats.

Rabbitt was mindful of Irvine Coach Vince O’Boyle’s instructions before the race: “Run your own race and run smart.”

Rabbitt, a senior, did well to heed the advice, as she was spiked several times early in the race while running in a tight pack. The contact nearly caused Rabbitt to lose her balance.

“It bothered me,” she said. “Also, the pace was too slow. That’s not good for me. . . .”

To pick up the pace, as well as to get out of harm’s way, Rabbitt ran in third place much of the way. She was in second going into the final straightaway but conserved energy and coasted to fourth place.

Considering the conditions, O’Boyle said he was pleased with Rabbitt’s race. Her time was not far off her best of 9:16.11.