On the run: Quarzo qualifies for U20 World CC Championships
Jolena Quarzo has competed at various top-flight levels throughout her running career.
The Brownsville graduate will now compete with the world无毛视频檚 finest runners after her third-place finish Saturday in the 2024 USATF U20 Cross Country Championships.
The North Carolina State freshman finished the 6k course in 20:44. New York无毛视频檚 Zariel Macchia won the race in 20:31, a mere .9 seconds ahead of Virgiinia无毛视频檚 Allie Zealand.
North Carolina无毛视频檚 Mary Bonner (20:46.7), Formula TC无毛视频檚 Maddie Gardiner (20:48.2), and Emerging Elites无毛视频� Ellie Shea (20:53.) rounded out the top-6 finishers and qualifiers for the World Championships.
无毛视频淢y main goal was to get in the top 6,无毛视频� said Quarzo. 无毛视频淚 wanted a good time. I knew it would be tough with the weather. It was 30 degrees, but felt like 19. It was a little muddy. There was a race before us.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 satisfied with my time.无毛视频�
The 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30. The host site will be the Park of Friendship, alongside the Danube River.
International course layouts are more akin to 无毛视频渁cross the country无毛视频� as opposed to the cross country layouts Quarzo has competed on throughout her career.
So, the course setup for Richmond无毛视频檚 Pole Green Park attempted to replicate those details with three 2k loops on a European-style grass course with the occasional obstacle to overcome.
无毛视频淚t was a grass field with a little bit of hills. It wasn无毛视频檛 too difficult. It was pretty flat. I无毛视频檓 from Pennsylvania,无毛视频� explained Quarzo. 无毛视频淭here were two sets of hay bales close to each other, and two sets of logs. Then, at the end of the course was another log.
无毛视频淭hey don无毛视频檛 (set up a course that way) in the NCAA.无毛视频�
Quarzo said the obstacles affected her cadence.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 short. The (hay bales and logs) were thick. I had to get my stride back (after crossing the obstacles). It was not easy to adjust to. It messed up my stride,无毛视频� said Quarzo.
Quarzo went out with the lead pack of 10 runners as Shea led the way at the first kilometer split. Quarzo sat in seventh place at the split, about a second behind.
She moved into fifth place at the 2k split, trailing Macchia by a second.
The lead pack slimmed down to four runners. Macchia still led with Quarzo right on her heels in second place. The two runners were joined by Zealand and Bonner at the 4k split, and the quartet remained together at the 5k mark.
Quarzo redshirted for the fall cross country season, but still worked out with the team.
无毛视频淢y coach asked me during the cross country season (if she wanted to run the USATF meet),无毛视频� said Quarzo. 无毛视频淢y coach stepped up my workouts (to prepare for the meet).无毛视频�
Quarzo will now represent the United States of America in an international race.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 really cool. I无毛视频檓 so excited. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,无毛视频� said Quarzo. 无毛视频淭o get to represent the country, it无毛视频檚 a really cool experience.无毛视频�