Riley Harmon (5000), Laura Zimmer (800) Move Into Top 10 in CMS History in at Occidental Carnival

EAGLE ROCK, Calif. - Riley Harmon ran a 17:19.11 in the 5000 meters and Laura Zimmer ran a 2:15.66 in the 800 meters to both move into the top 10 in CMS history in their respective events at the Occidental Distance and Sprint Carnival on Saturday evening.

Harmon ran a 17:19.11 to finish in ninth place out of 143 runners, moving into ninth place in CMS history, just ahead of 1985 national champion Gwynn Hardesty. It is also the second event that Harmon has placed herself in the top in Athena annals, as she already ranks tied for seventh in the 3000-meter steeplechase. She finished behind eight other runners, four of which were competing from professional track clubs, as well as three from Division I Santa Clara and one from Division II Biola. Chloe Taylor (17:51.28) and Anika Kimme (17:56.21) also broke 18 minutes and finished in 21st and 24th place, respectively, in the 5000 at Occidental. 

Zimmer, meanwhile, was third out of 46 runners in the 800 meters with her time of 2:15.66, behind only Linkus and Ellen Palmgren of the Master's College, which places her 10th all-time at CMS. Megan Maley also finished in the top 10 at Occidental with a 2:19.61, placing her ninth, while Camille Elizabeth Forte was 15th.

Natalie Bitetti also had a strong effort in the 1500 meters, finishing third out of 110 runners with a 4:38.92, while just missing cracking the CMS all-time top 10. She finished behind Hannah Fredericks of the Master's College and Rosie Linkus, who was running unattached. Abby Johnson (5:00.86) and Jamie Habib (5:01.84) were just shy of the five-minute mark in 31st and 34th place, respectively. 

Angela Gushue also had a top-10 finish at Occidental, coming in ninth place in the steeplechase with a 12:03.91. Two of the top distance runners at CMS were also not at the Occidental Distance Carnival, due to competing at the NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships. Meredith Bloss earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish in the 5000 on Friday, while Emily Clarke just missed with a ninth-place finish in the 3000 on Saturday. 

CMS will be back in action on Friday when it competes at the Redlands Invitational.