April 20, 2012
Mt. SAC Results | Millhouse Post-Race Interview | Race Video - Women's 10,000-Meters
WALNUT, Calif. - Senior Kara Millhouse (Boiling Springs, Pa.) took top honors in school-record fashion on Thursday evening, winning the women's invitational 10,000-meters at the prestigious Mount San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) Relays. Millhouse bettered her own Penn State best by the narrowest of margins, running 33:31.37 to improve upon her previous personal record of 33:31.93.
The senior confidently paced herself through the grueling 6.2-mile race, running much of the effort on the heels of former Olympic marathoner Karina Pérez of Mexico. The duo broke away from the field during the opening laps, and cruised along before Millhouse took over the lead with just over a mile remaining. Perez would provide another surge in the closing stages, slightly gapping the Nittany Lion senior before Millhouse turned on her patented finishing kick at around 800-meters out, to better her competitor by over three seconds. Millhouse and Perez were a clear one-two over the rest of the field, as the next-best finisher crossed over 10 seconds after Perez.
Millhouse, the Big Ten Champion in the event a year ago, now stands second in the conference with the effort, and fifth in the NCAA East Region.
Action at Mt. SAC continues throughout the weekend, with a trio of Nittany Lions taking on the 1500-meters on Friday evening. First up will be sophomore Bekka Simko (Mentor, Ohio) in the women's invitational 1500 at 7:00 p.m., PDT, while freshman Robby Creese (Mount Airy, Md.) and senior Owen Dawson (Coatesville, Pa.) will toe the line in the men's invite 1500 at 7:06 p.m., PDT.
For more on Nittany Lion track and field, log on to www.GoPSUsports.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @PennStTFXC.