Savannah Sutherland sets Canadian 400m record at NCAA Indoor Championships
The University of Michigan sophomore finished seventh in the 400m final
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Athletics Canada
Canada’s Savannah Sutherland, 19, broke the national indoor 400m record at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., on Saturday. The University of Michigan sophomore finished in seventh place in a speedy final, stopping the clock in 51.60 to lower the previous Canadian record by 0.04 seconds. This is the first national record of Sutherland’s young career.
The 400m Canadian record holder! @AthleticsCanada pic.twitter.com/nz7bbRflTI
— Michigan Track & Field / Cross Country (@UMichTrack) March 12, 2023
Sutherland kicked off her NCAA Indoor Championships campaign on Friday in the 400m qualifying heats, when she ran 51.75 to book a spot in the final. While not nearly as fast as her run in the final, Sutherland’s qualifying time was still one of the quickest ever run by a Canadian, placing her at third all-time as she headed into Saturday’s race. After crossing the line in the final, Sutherland jumped two spots on the Canadian indoor 400m list, grabbing the top spot with her 51.60 performance.
Sutherland’s remarkable run caps an impressive indoor season that saw her win multiple medals at the Big Ten conference championships, earning a silver medal in the 400m, gold (and a school record of 3:30.63) in the 4 x 400m relay and the overall women’s team title with her Michigan teammates.
Also at the Big Ten Championships, Sutherland actually beat the previous Canadian indoor 400m record with a massive 51.41 result, but the run was not record eligible, as she ran it on a 300m track (Athletics Canada requires all indoor records to be run on tracks that are no longer than 201m). After Saturday’s run, Sutherland now owns the official national indoor 400m record, adding to the unofficial best from earlier in the season.
In other Canadian results from the NCAA Indoors, Ceili McCabe finished sixth in the women’s 3,000m, posting a time of 9:16.05. Sutherland’s Michigan teammate Aurora Rynda made it to the 800m final and finished eighth in 2:06.83. Gracelyn Larkin ran a massive indoor 5,000m PB, finishing seventh in 16:27.76, and Kieran Lumb finished eighth in the men’s 3,000m, running 8:02.63.
For full results from the NCAA Indoor Championships, click here.
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