BU Season Opener: Katie Messina's superb 5km race

She's wearing a new uniform, and running for a new team, and she was listed as "Kate" in the results. But our Forever Fox, Katie Messina, was surrounded by her Marist Running Family once again -- as she had been for the past four years -- at Boston University on Saturday morning at the BU Season Opener. Katie, who graduated in May, is now living in the Boston area and running for New Balance Boston. And running quite well!

Running in the slower heat of the 5,000-meter run on Saturday morning, Katie crushed it. She raced solo in the three-woman race, leading by a lot from wire to wire, and nearly ran a PR. Her splits were the usual clockwork methodical -- her first half and second half were almost identical, and her kilometer splits had very little variance. After the evening heat, which included several NCAA qualifying marks, Katie wound up 7th overall. Anyway ... we look forward to seeing Katie at future Boston meets.

5,000-meter run

7-Kate Messina (New Balance Boston) 17:41.38

39.2, 80.6 (41.4), 2:03.0 (42.4), 2:45.3 (42.3), 3:27.8 (42.5)

4:10.6 (42.8), 4:53.2 (42.6), 5:35.8 (42.6), 6:18.4 (42.6), 7:01.2 (42.8)

7:44.3 (43.1), 8:27.2 (42.9), 9:10.3 (43.1), 9:53.4 (43.1), 10:36.6 (43.2)

11:19.9 (43.3), 12:03.1 (43.2), 12:46.2 (43.1), 13:29.2 (43.0), 14:12.3 (43.1)

14:54.8 (42.5), 15:37.8 (43.0), 16:20.3 (42.5), 17:01.7 (41.4)

17:41.38 (39.68)

First 2500 meters: 8:50

Second 2500 meters: 8:51.38

Kilometer splits: 3:27.8, 3:33.4, 3:35.4, 3:35.7, 3:29.08