Recent Duke graduate Shannon Rowbury took first place in Sunday's 1,500-meter finals at the Olympic Track and Field Trials in Eugene, Ore., securing a berth on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. Rowbury finished with a time of 4:05.48, ahead of fellow Olympic qualifiers Erin Donohue (4:08.20) and Christin Wurth (4:08.48).
A 2007 Duke graduate, Rowbury won the school's only female individual national title when she claimed first place in the mile at the 2007 NCAA Indoor Championships. Shortly after her win at the NCAAs, however, Rowbury discovered that a persistent pain in her left hip was a stress fracture, leading to a 3 month period of rest and rehabilitation. Despite the time away from the track, Rowbury was able to rediscover her form after the injury, and she entered the 2008 Olympic Trials on a groundswell of positive momentum after a strong 2008 outdoor season that included a 4.01.61 finish in the 1500 meters at the adidas Track Classic, the fifth-best time ever by an American in the event.
For more on Rowbury and her career at Duke, check out The Chronicle's mini-profile of Rowbury in the send-home summer issue, which goes online Wednesday.
-by Will Flaherty
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