NCAA East Preliminaries May 23-25 // Hosted by North Carolina A&T

Members and teammates of the Elon track and field program congratulate and wish Caroline McCaslin good luck at the NCAA Preliminaries.

Meet Info  Location Greensboro, N.C. Facility Irwin Belk Track at Aggie Stadium Schedule of Events Click Here Live Results Click Here Ticket Info. Click Here  McCaslin Achievements - Set a school-record in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Duke Invitational with a time of 10:34.87 (April 6) - Tabbed as the SoCon's Track Performer of the Week on April 10 - Captured the SoCon title in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 10:42.89 (April 20) - Earned All-SoCon honors at the 2013 Oudoor Championships in the 3,000m steeplechase - Selected to the SoCon's All-Freshman team in the 3,000m steeplechase and 1,500m run - Qualified for the NCAA East Premilinary on May 16 in the 3,000m steeplechase

ELON, N.C. - Elon track and field freshman Caroline McCaslin will look to extend her great 2013 outdoor campaign as she competes in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA East Preliminary round in Greensboro, N.C. The meet is scheduled to begin on May 23, with McCaslin's event slated for a 8:50 p.m. start on Friday, May 24, at the Irwin Belk Track at North Carolina A&T Aggie Stadium.

McCaslin becomes the first Elon athlete to qualify and compete in the NCAA prelims since 2011 when Veronica Day and Amy Salek represented the maroon and gold. She is the first Phoenix distance performer to compete at the regional meet since Alana Black in 2006.

The NCAA honor adds to the long list of accolades that the Prospect, Ky., native has achieved this season. McCaslin set a new school-record in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Duke Invitational with a time of 10:34.87 on April 6 and went on to capture the Southern Conference title in the event at the conference's outdoor championship meet, earning All-SoCon and league all-freshman laurels. 

Prior to her big meet on Friday, ElonPhoenix.com caught up with McCaslin for a quick recap about this season.

EP: What was your initial reaction when you heard that you were going to compete in the NCAA Preliminary round this week?
CM: I was very excited to hear the news. I knew there was possibility, but the news still came as a surprise.

EP: How exciting is it to continue to represent Elon at the NCAA Preliminaries only a few miles away in Greensboro?
CM: It’s a great because of the close location and some of my teammates can come watch me compete. 

EP: How does it feel to be the first distance runner under Elon head cross country and assistant track and field coach Christine Engel to reach the NCAAs?
CM: I feel honored. I am excited for what the future holds for me and the rest of the distance group. 

EP: For those who don't know, talk about the work and the effort in preparation for the steeplechase race.
CM: Hip flexibility is important for jumping over the barriers. However, the most important thing is being able to keep your composure. If you fall in the water pit, it’s important to keep going and to stay calm. 

EP: How did it feel winning the SoCon steeplechase title and to share the podium with two of your teammates (Tereza Novotna and Emily Tryon) from the race?
CM: It was more special to share the podium with my teammates than it was to win the individual title. We went into the race as a team and accomplished our goal to sweep the race. The whole track team was cheering us on which helped tremendously. I’m very lucky to be on such a supportive team.

EP: Talk about the impact your teammates have helped you throughout the season in practice?
CM: My closest friends are on the track team. Some of them have continued to run with me as I prepare for the regional meet, which has meant a lot to me.

EP: Describe the impact that Coach Engel has had on your success this season.
CM: I owe most of my success this year to Coach Engel. She has made me into a more confident runner.

EP: You have been able to perform at a high level on the track, but also in the classroom as evident by your high GPA. How have you been able to manage your time and balance both priorities?
CM: I don’t procrastinate. I spend a lot of time in the library.

EP: You have accomplished a lot this season (school-record, SoCon Champion, All-SoCon performer, Athlete of the Week, NCAAs among others). How crazy does it feel to accomplish all of that as a freshman?
CM: I am very fortunate to have had a healthy outdoor track season because I was injured in the fall. I couldn’t have accomplished anything without the support of my teammates and Coach Engel.

EP: What has been your favorite memory or experience from this season?
CM: I just love spending time with my teammates at meets. 

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What Others Are Saying

Christine Engel, Elon Head Cross Country and Assistant Track and Field Coach
On how proud she is that Caroline is representing Elon at the NCAAs this week
"I am very proud of Caroline! Our goal is to raise the bar of the program each year - in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Her being among the top 48 athletes in her event this season is certainly raising the bar. Obviously, to have Elon represented at the NCAA Championships is something we hope to continue and by greater numbers next year!"

On how Caroline epitomizes the term student-athlete
"Caroline is a tremendous student. She has a 3.99 GPA as a biology major and takes great pride in everything she does, both in running and in the classroom. She is great with managing her time, prioritizing things and understands that all the 'little' things add up in a big way."

Describing the impact that Caroline has had for the distance program and as her first NCAA qualifier in track and field
"It is certainly exciting and shows what hard work and being disciplined can result in. Caroline actually came to Elon in August injured and wasn’t able to run for the first month, but she remained focused and followed our cross training plan precisely. She came back and raced to a personal-record at the SoCon Championships in cross country.  She never counted herself out and didn’t use the injury as an excuse,  showing such perspective and maturity.  I think her impact comes from not only her performances on the track, but also from the high expectations she has for herself, how she manages her life and her poise.

How surprising (or not surprising) is it that Caroline is performing at a high level as a freshman?
"I wouldn’t necessarily use the word surprising… perhaps, impressive would more be the word I would use. She, without question, has had an impressive year- being an NCAA qualifier, Conference Champion and school record holder. When someone does all the right things, as she does, it is not surprising when big improvements happen."

Tereza Novotna, Elon track and field freshman
On how proud she is of Caroline and the type of teammate she is
"I am so proud of Caroline! She is a fun person to practice with and whenever I didn't feel great during practice, she was the one supporting me to keep my head up. I will be her biggest fan cheering back home overseas and I am really excited for the next season!"