Bowman breaks 23-year-old school record in mile

Tennessee senior distance ace Sarah Bowman toppled her second school record in as many weekends, breaking the mile record in the Nutrilite Women’s Invitational Mile at the Tyson Invitational late Friday night.

Running in the Visa Championship Series two-hour elite-level competition, which will be televised by ESPN from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday, Bowman erased Alisa Harvey’s 23-year-old UT standard with a fifth-place finish in four minutes, 34.69 seconds at the Randall Tyson Track Center. Harvey’s mark of 4:35.25 had stood since the SEC championship on March 2, 1986.

Bowman, who last weekend anchored the Lady Vols to a school and American record in the distance medley relay, grabbed the lead early in this race and navigated the first 200 in 32.98 seconds. She would maintain the advantage through the 800 mark, coming through in 2:15.97, before falling off a bit in laps five and six and closing with final lap splits of 33.85 and 34.72. Nike’s Anna Willard prevailed in 4:30.69. Bowman, meanwhile, left the track with the number three time in the NCAA this season and remained atop the SEC with the conference championship two weeks away.

“Sarah has continued to do what she needs to do to improve,” Lady Vols coach J.J. Clark said. “Tonight, she improved by running a school record, and she did it in a big meet, which is positive to see. The school record was a solid mark by Alisa Harvey, but something that was attainable. I believe there is still more there before the season is out.”

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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