March 7, 2010

BOSTON – Sophomore standout Jess Palacio (Sun Valley, Nev.) broke Kim McGreevy's 16-year old school record in the mile run en route to a second-place finish at the ECAC Championships on Sunday afternoon at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center.

After cracking Navy's all-time top-10 list for the first time with a then-PR of 4:54.82 on Saturday afternoon, Palacio returned on Sunday and shaved more than four seconds off her time with a terrific run of 4:50.80. The performance bests McGreevy's mark of 4:51.21, which was set on March 5, 1995.

"Jess ran just an amazing race, especially considering she hadn't hit the ECAC standard prior to this weekend and was eligible to compete because she won the mile at the Patriot League meet," said Navy head coach Carla Criste. "We're extremely proud of her and our entire team's efforts over the last two days. We brought a young group up here this weekend and we're very excited about what your future holds for these athletes and our team over the next few years."

Palacio, the Patriot League's reigning champion in the mile, came into the day seeded ninth amongst a competitive 10-team field in the event. The Sun Valley, Nev. Native took second behind only Syracuse senior Maegan Krifchin, who won the event in 4:48.10. Vermont's Alyson Millett took a close third, crossing the finish line just .02 seconds after Palacio. Prior to this weekend, her fastest career effort in the mile was a mark of 4:59.53, set on February 11 in Annapolis.

Sophomore Amanda Phelps (Oceanside, Calif.) was the only other Navy individual to compete on Sunday. Phelps had a strong showing in the 20-pound weight throw, taking 11th overall with a top toss of 53'1.75" (16.20 meters).

As a team, Navy finished tied for 25th overall with 12 team points. The Connecticut women topped the field of over 50 teams with 84.5 points, followed by Seton Hall's 65 points and George Mason's 45 points. Rutgers and Cornell rounded out the top-five with 33 and 31 points, respectively.

Navy will look to build off what was yet another strong indoor campaign when they open up the 2010 outdoor slate with a five-team home meet on March 20 at Ingram Field.

## Go Navy! ##