University of Massachusets Athletics
MacLean Heads Into East Preliminary Championships As Top Seed In 800 Meter Run
May 21, 2018 | Women's Track & Field
The redshirt senior will run in the NCAA first round on Thursday at 8:35 p.m.
Need To Know Info
Who: Heather MacLean (@heathair31) – Redshirt Senior – Peabody Mass./Peabody
What: Top seed in 800 meter run at the NCAA Preliminary East Round (ran 2:03.45 at the UMass Pre-Conference Meet on April 28)
Where: USF Track & Field Stadium | Tampa, Florida (Meet Info)
When: Meet begins on Thursday, May 24 – First Round of the 800 meter run will go off at 8:35 p.m. (Live Results | Live Video $)
Why: Looking to advance to NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon (June 6-9)
How: First round is six heats, top three and next six fastest times move on to NCAA Quarterfinals (Friday, May 25, 6:45 p.m.). Quarterfinals are three heats of eight with tow three and next fastest three advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
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The Final Lap
- In her final season of eligibility this spring, Heather MacLean has continued to add on to her already impressive resume after setting a new 3,000m record in her only indoor meet of 2017-18, demolishing UMass Hall of Famer Kelly Liljeblad's 22 year-old record in the event by nearly 33 seconds last December.
- She opened the outdoor season by running a new event, the 3,000 meter steeplechase for the first time in her career at the Minuteman Invitational on April 7 and set the second-fastest time in program history in the event, 10:27.59, just 1.4 seconds off the school record.
- The following week MacLean broke the outdoor mile record at the Ocean State Invitational, running 4:43.99 to surpass the old all-time mark by 14.51 seconds. With the addition of the outdoor mile record, she now holds seven individual records combined on UMass' indoor and outdoor lists.
- In a talented field at the Larry Ellis Invitational, MacLean claimed fifth in the 1,500m, third among NCAA runners.
- MacLean's top 800 meter time of the season thus far, a new school and UMass facility record of 2:03.45 came on April 28 at the UMass Pre-Conference meet. This performance earned her the top seed in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships this week.
- MacLean won two gold medals, set a meet record and scored in a relay en route to Most Outstanding Track Performer honors at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She defended her 2017 A-10 title in 1,500 meter run and then went on to win her third career outdoor 800 meter gold, breaking her own meet record at 2 minutes, 5.61 seconds. MacLean also ran on UMass' fourth-place 4x400 meter relay that broke a 20-year-old UMass record, combining to run 3 minutes, 45.74 seconds. Those two gold medals brought her career total to eight individual Atlantic 10 titles on the track.
- At the New England Championships, she won her sixth career individual title and first in the 1,500 meter run.
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MacLean Caps Cross Country Career With Stellar 2017 Season
- In November 2017, MacLean became the first All-American in UMass women's cross country history after finishing 26th at the NCAA Championships.
- The performance capped her stellar 2017 cross country season, which saw her win her second straight Atlantic 10 individual cross country title and capture the individual title at the 2017 New England Championships.
- MacLean became the fifth NCAA qualifier in program history by virtue of her fifth-place finish at the Northeast Regional Championships. For her performance at the New England meet, MacLean was tabbed the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for women's Division I cross country for the second time in her career.
- In her other two 2017 races, MacLean opened the season with a victory at the Minuteman Invitational and took seventh at the prestigious Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown.
At NCAAs
- MacLean made history in March 2016 when she took ninth in the mile final at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to become the first indoor track and field All-American in the history of the UMass women's track and field program. She followed up with her second All-America recognition of her career last fall at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, taking 26th.
- MacLean also qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Championships outdoors in the 800m in 2015 and the 1,500m in 2017, reaching the quarterfinal round last May.Â
In The Classroom
- This past fall, MacLean picked up her fifth Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference recognition of her career. She was previously honored for cross country in 2015 and 2016, for indoor track and field in 2016 and outdoor track and field in 2017.
- MacLean earned her bachelor's degree in psychology with a 3.704 GPA this past spring and was among 10 seniors honored as 21st Century Leaders at UMass' undergraduate commencement. She is currently working towards her master's degree in education.Â
On The Track
- MacLean is coming off her seventh and eighth individual Atlantic 10 titles this spring, including her second straight in the 1,500 meter run.
- She is a five-time A-10 gold medalist in the 800m (indoor: 2015, 2016; outdoor 2014, 2015, 2018) and won the mile indoors in 2016. MacLean has five New England 800m titles to her credit, as well and one 1,500m title outdoors this spring.
- MacLean was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the indoor A-10 Championships in 2016, outdoors in 2018 and the Most Outstanding Rookie at the outdoor A-10 Championships in 2014.
- She holds seven school records on UMass' all-time indoor and outdoor lists and holds a share of the program's indoor relay records for 4x400m, 4x800m and distance medley relays and outdoor 4x400 meter relay.
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Who: Heather MacLean (@heathair31) – Redshirt Senior – Peabody Mass./Peabody
What: Top seed in 800 meter run at the NCAA Preliminary East Round (ran 2:03.45 at the UMass Pre-Conference Meet on April 28)
Where: USF Track & Field Stadium | Tampa, Florida (Meet Info)
When: Meet begins on Thursday, May 24 – First Round of the 800 meter run will go off at 8:35 p.m. (Live Results | Live Video $)
Why: Looking to advance to NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon (June 6-9)
How: First round is six heats, top three and next six fastest times move on to NCAA Quarterfinals (Friday, May 25, 6:45 p.m.). Quarterfinals are three heats of eight with tow three and next fastest three advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene.
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The Final Lap
- In her final season of eligibility this spring, Heather MacLean has continued to add on to her already impressive resume after setting a new 3,000m record in her only indoor meet of 2017-18, demolishing UMass Hall of Famer Kelly Liljeblad's 22 year-old record in the event by nearly 33 seconds last December.
- She opened the outdoor season by running a new event, the 3,000 meter steeplechase for the first time in her career at the Minuteman Invitational on April 7 and set the second-fastest time in program history in the event, 10:27.59, just 1.4 seconds off the school record.
- The following week MacLean broke the outdoor mile record at the Ocean State Invitational, running 4:43.99 to surpass the old all-time mark by 14.51 seconds. With the addition of the outdoor mile record, she now holds seven individual records combined on UMass' indoor and outdoor lists.
- In a talented field at the Larry Ellis Invitational, MacLean claimed fifth in the 1,500m, third among NCAA runners.
- MacLean's top 800 meter time of the season thus far, a new school and UMass facility record of 2:03.45 came on April 28 at the UMass Pre-Conference meet. This performance earned her the top seed in the event at the NCAA East Preliminary Championships this week.
- MacLean won two gold medals, set a meet record and scored in a relay en route to Most Outstanding Track Performer honors at the Atlantic 10 Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She defended her 2017 A-10 title in 1,500 meter run and then went on to win her third career outdoor 800 meter gold, breaking her own meet record at 2 minutes, 5.61 seconds. MacLean also ran on UMass' fourth-place 4x400 meter relay that broke a 20-year-old UMass record, combining to run 3 minutes, 45.74 seconds. Those two gold medals brought her career total to eight individual Atlantic 10 titles on the track.
- At the New England Championships, she won her sixth career individual title and first in the 1,500 meter run.
Â
MacLean Caps Cross Country Career With Stellar 2017 Season
- In November 2017, MacLean became the first All-American in UMass women's cross country history after finishing 26th at the NCAA Championships.
- The performance capped her stellar 2017 cross country season, which saw her win her second straight Atlantic 10 individual cross country title and capture the individual title at the 2017 New England Championships.
- MacLean became the fifth NCAA qualifier in program history by virtue of her fifth-place finish at the Northeast Regional Championships. For her performance at the New England meet, MacLean was tabbed the USTFCCCA National Athlete of the Week for women's Division I cross country for the second time in her career.
- In her other two 2017 races, MacLean opened the season with a victory at the Minuteman Invitational and took seventh at the prestigious Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown.
At NCAAs
- MacLean made history in March 2016 when she took ninth in the mile final at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships to become the first indoor track and field All-American in the history of the UMass women's track and field program. She followed up with her second All-America recognition of her career last fall at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, taking 26th.
- MacLean also qualified for the NCAA Preliminary Championships outdoors in the 800m in 2015 and the 1,500m in 2017, reaching the quarterfinal round last May.Â
In The Classroom
- This past fall, MacLean picked up her fifth Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference recognition of her career. She was previously honored for cross country in 2015 and 2016, for indoor track and field in 2016 and outdoor track and field in 2017.
- MacLean earned her bachelor's degree in psychology with a 3.704 GPA this past spring and was among 10 seniors honored as 21st Century Leaders at UMass' undergraduate commencement. She is currently working towards her master's degree in education.Â
On The Track
- MacLean is coming off her seventh and eighth individual Atlantic 10 titles this spring, including her second straight in the 1,500 meter run.
- She is a five-time A-10 gold medalist in the 800m (indoor: 2015, 2016; outdoor 2014, 2015, 2018) and won the mile indoors in 2016. MacLean has five New England 800m titles to her credit, as well and one 1,500m title outdoors this spring.
- MacLean was named the Most Outstanding Performer at the indoor A-10 Championships in 2016, outdoors in 2018 and the Most Outstanding Rookie at the outdoor A-10 Championships in 2014.
- She holds seven school records on UMass' all-time indoor and outdoor lists and holds a share of the program's indoor relay records for 4x400m, 4x800m and distance medley relays and outdoor 4x400 meter relay.
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Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Women's Track & FieldSunday, April 04
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Tuesday, April 28