Pappas' Steeplchase Performance Ranks as Best in Nation

Pappas' Steeplchase Performance Ranks as Best in Nation
Courtesy: Dartmouth
Release: 04/09/2012
HANOVER, N.H. - The coaches knew that night that senior Alexi Pappas (Alameda, Calif.) had run a great race in the 3,000-meter steeplechase Friday at Princeton's Sam Howell Invitational. How great it was would not be fully understood until Monday morning, though.

Pappas' new Dartmouth women's track & field record of 10:07.58 eclipsed her own program mark in the event by more than 18 seconds (10:25.82).

But when the results from the entire weekend were released Monday morning, Pappas' new program standard also stood at the top of the rankings as the best time by any runner in the nation this season.

"Lexi clearly ran a great race and I am incredibly pleased with her performance," assistant coach Mark Coogan said. "She is a very hard worker and that race really showed how determined she is this spring."

The second-fastest time in the steeple this spring was also set on Saturday, but at the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., by Syracuse's Heather Stephens. Her time was nearly four seconds back of Pappas' time as Stephens edged Michigan's Alexandra Lepitch with a 10:11.51 finish.

So far this season, 19 runners from across Division I have run the steeplechase in under 10:20, but only the Dartmouth senior has gone below 10:10, doing so by nearly two and a half seconds.

Alexi Pappas
Position: Distance
Year: Senior
Hometown: Alameda, Calif.
High School: Bishop O'Dowd

Junior (2010-11): Qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 3,000-meter steeplechase ... took second at Outdoor Heps in the steeplechase with a school-record time of 10:25.82 ... in cross country, she placed 34th at the New England Championship.

Before Dartmouth: Pappas is a graduate of Bishop O'Dowd High School where she lettered in cross country and track and field for three years, and soccer for two ... served as captain of her soccer and cross country teams her senior year ... from 2005-2007, she won six Hayward Area Athletic League Championships (HAAL)- two with her cross country team, three with her track team, and one with her soccer team ... individually, Pappas earned a number of awards including being a two-time HAAL First Team All-League and a First Team All-Northern California performer in cross country, and a three-time HALL All-League performer in track and field ... was vice president of her sophomore, junior and senior classes at Bishop O'Dowd, and was the recipient of the President's Education Award, as well as the Campus Ministry Award.

Personal: Alexi is the daughter of John Pappas and has one brother ... her grandfather, Jerome North, played basketball at NYU in the mid 1940's ... after Dartmouth, Alexi is interested in joining the Peace Corps.

2011-12 Highs

Indoor Outdoor
Mile: 4:44.56 (1/21/12)





2010-11 Highs

Indoor Outdoor
Mile: 4:54.77 (Val Classic - 2-11-11) 1500m: 4:28.11 (Larry Ellis - 4-22-11)
3K: 9:59.50 (Terrier - 1-28-11) Steeple: 10:25.82 (Heps - 5-8-11)


2010-11 Relays

Outdoor: Walsh, Imhof, Pappas & Vailas
4X1500: 18:28.52


2009-10 Highs
Outdoor Indoor
1500m: 4:39.6m (Yale) (4/26/10)
800m: 2:16.10 (Princeton-LE)



2008-09 Highs
Outdoor Indoor
1500m: 5:06.48 UMass Mile: 5:50.41 Dart. Invite
800m: 2:18.75 Dart. Invite 1000m: 3:10.50 UVM/UNH
800m: 2:23.49 Val. Invite