MAAC Indoors: Michelle Gaye obliterates women's 5km school record

Congrats to senior captain Michelle Gaye, who broke the school record at 5,000 meters and qualified for ECACs on Saturday night at MAACs. Michelle led the race for the first 20 laps (4,000 meters), pushing the pace hard and making the field work for every step. She wound up with a third-place finish and one of the most noteworthy times and performances in Marist distance history. She ran 17:05.92 and broke Liza Grudzinski's 2003 school record of 17:24.14 by a lot. She did it with her trademark consistent and relentless pace.

What makes this record even more poignant is that Liza has been rooting for Michelle to break the record. After Michelle's school-record 3,000-meter race earlier in the season, Liza felt it was time for Michelle to take down her long-standing mark, and she was openly rooting for it to happen. And tonight, Michelle did just that. This photo I took of her just after the race was texted to Liza. Michelle was making a heart with her hands, a symbol of the mutual respect and love through the generations of Marist's leading ladies. Good stuff. So, so good.

5,000-meter run

3. Michelle Gaye 17:05.92 *school record, old record, 17:24.14, Liza Grudzinski, 2003; ECAC qualifier

40, 81 (41), 2:01 (40), 2:42 (41), 3:22 (40)

4:03 (41), 4:44 (41), 5:25 (41), 6:07 (42), 6:48 (41)

7:29 (41), 8:10 (41), 8:51 (41), 9:31 (40), 10:12 (41)

10:54 (42), 11:35 (41), 12:17 (42), 12:59 (42), 13:40 (41)

14:20 (40), 15:01 (41), 15:41 (41), 16:23 (42), 17:05.92 (42.92)

Kilometer splits: 3:22, 3:26, 3:24, 3:28, 3:25.92