Thursday, June 8
Eugene, OR
8:08 p.m.
Montana State University
at
NCAA Outdoor Championships - Day Two
Alyssa Snyder
Photo by: Al Sermeno
Personal & School Record Crushed, Snyder Earns All-America Honors at NCAA Meet
6/8/2017 10:23:00 PM | Women's Track and Field
Alyssa Snyder put together one of the best performances in Montana State women’s track and field history on one of the sport’s biggest stages. Snyder toppled her own school record while taking fourth in the 10,000-meter run to earn First-Team All-America status at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday, June 8, at historic Hayward Field
EUGENE, Ore. – Alyssa Snyder put together one of the best performances in Montana State women's track and field history on one of the sport's biggest stages. Snyder toppled her own school record while taking fourth in the 10,000-meter run to earn First-Team All-America status at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships Thursday, June 8, at historic Hayward Field.
Snyder crossed the line with a time of 32 minutes, 58.31 seconds, shattering her previous MSU-record mark by more than 45 seconds. Her time is the second fastest ever by a Big Sky Conference runner in the event.
"The race started out with a quick pace, especially the first few laps," Montana State assistant coach Lyle Weese said. "The first mile was around 5:13, which is a quick first mile in a 10K, so I was a little nervous about the pace. She raced with composure, she raced with courage, and she just had an unlimited amount of fight out there.
"The biggest key for her was to move up as there was separation in the packs. When she moved up from the pack that she was in, when there was a little gap from the top three and everyone else, that took a lot of courage and guts. That's what propelled her to fourth place."
"At that point, through the first half of the race, I was just trying to hang with the pack and let them carry me through," Snyder said. "With about 10 laps to go I made a move to that front pack, but I wasn't quite able to hang with them. I was trying to stay ahead of the second pack and trying make up some ground, but then I just tried to maintain that position.
She became the Bobcats' fifth First-Team All-American at the NCAA outdoor meet joining Emily Tyrrell (2012), Elouise Rudy (2007, 2006), Erin Jones Graf (2006) and Shannon-Agee Jones (2002). Snyder tied Rudy for the team's best performance ever at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with Rudy taking fourth in the pole vault in 2007.
"It wasn't just physiological peaking, but I thought it was mental and emotional peaking," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said of Snyder's performance. "She certainly had her head and heart in it. She ran smart then she ran the last half of the race with her heart. I think that's a discipline and character you have to have to be successful, especially in a long race like that. You have to be patient. (She showed) a great display of courage, that's for sure."
The Coalville, Utah, native sat in eighth through the first 5,000 meters before she made her up way towards the front of the pack.
Snyder moved up to sixth and eventually settled into fourth with 4,000 meters remaining. She kept up with a pack of four that were leading the race and by 7,200 meters she'd built an eight-second edge over fifth place.
Snyder fell back from the top three finishers, but continued her strong pace away from trailers for the final 2,400 of the race. The MSU sophomore came into the race as the 20th seed after taking eighth at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
"For a minute, I was just kind of excited," Snyder said. "Then I started looking up at the board and saw my name and saw my finish. Honestly, it was such an amazing feeling. I finished higher than I thought I was even going to. I'm just over the moon about it right now."
Montana State earned five points behind Snyder's fourth-place finish in the 10K Thursday. The Bobcats earned four points at the NCAA meet in 2012 and five points in 2007.
"Alyssa and Lyle deserve the credit," Kennedy said. "They've been a great team together. He has done such an outstanding job of developing her and it's sad for us that she won't be here representing us again, but we've certainly enjoyed the moment. Us at Montana State are really proud of her."
Snyder crossed the line with a time of 32 minutes, 58.31 seconds, shattering her previous MSU-record mark by more than 45 seconds. Her time is the second fastest ever by a Big Sky Conference runner in the event.
"The race started out with a quick pace, especially the first few laps," Montana State assistant coach Lyle Weese said. "The first mile was around 5:13, which is a quick first mile in a 10K, so I was a little nervous about the pace. She raced with composure, she raced with courage, and she just had an unlimited amount of fight out there.
"The biggest key for her was to move up as there was separation in the packs. When she moved up from the pack that she was in, when there was a little gap from the top three and everyone else, that took a lot of courage and guts. That's what propelled her to fourth place."
"At that point, through the first half of the race, I was just trying to hang with the pack and let them carry me through," Snyder said. "With about 10 laps to go I made a move to that front pack, but I wasn't quite able to hang with them. I was trying to stay ahead of the second pack and trying make up some ground, but then I just tried to maintain that position.
She became the Bobcats' fifth First-Team All-American at the NCAA outdoor meet joining Emily Tyrrell (2012), Elouise Rudy (2007, 2006), Erin Jones Graf (2006) and Shannon-Agee Jones (2002). Snyder tied Rudy for the team's best performance ever at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, with Rudy taking fourth in the pole vault in 2007.
"It wasn't just physiological peaking, but I thought it was mental and emotional peaking," Montana State head coach Dale Kennedy said of Snyder's performance. "She certainly had her head and heart in it. She ran smart then she ran the last half of the race with her heart. I think that's a discipline and character you have to have to be successful, especially in a long race like that. You have to be patient. (She showed) a great display of courage, that's for sure."
The Coalville, Utah, native sat in eighth through the first 5,000 meters before she made her up way towards the front of the pack.
Snyder moved up to sixth and eventually settled into fourth with 4,000 meters remaining. She kept up with a pack of four that were leading the race and by 7,200 meters she'd built an eight-second edge over fifth place.
Snyder fell back from the top three finishers, but continued her strong pace away from trailers for the final 2,400 of the race. The MSU sophomore came into the race as the 20th seed after taking eighth at the NCAA West Preliminary Round.
"For a minute, I was just kind of excited," Snyder said. "Then I started looking up at the board and saw my name and saw my finish. Honestly, it was such an amazing feeling. I finished higher than I thought I was even going to. I'm just over the moon about it right now."
Montana State earned five points behind Snyder's fourth-place finish in the 10K Thursday. The Bobcats earned four points at the NCAA meet in 2012 and five points in 2007.
"Alyssa and Lyle deserve the credit," Kennedy said. "They've been a great team together. He has done such an outstanding job of developing her and it's sad for us that she won't be here representing us again, but we've certainly enjoyed the moment. Us at Montana State are really proud of her."
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