Smithfield, RI -- Bryant University cross country and track & field coach Stephanie Reilly recently represented her native Ireland at last week’s IAAF European Track & Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
In a final tune up for the upcoming Olympic Games in London, where she will compete in the 3000 meter steeplechase as a member of the Irish National Team, Reilly ran a strong race in the semifinals, finishing sixth with a finals qualifying time of nine minutes, 44.15 seconds, just shy of her personal best in the event.
In the finals over the weekend, the County Wicklow, Ireland, native, a former three-time Irish national champion in the 800m, 1500, and 3000m, took home 12th-place overall, finishing with a time of 9:53.90.
A former standout track & field athlete at Providence College where she was a member of two New England Championship and one Big East Conference championship teams with the Friars, Reilly earned a spot on the Irish National Team by running a personal-best time of 9:42.91 at the New York Adidas League Grand Prix at Randall’s Island last June, qualifying her for the 2011 World Championships in South Korea.
Reilly will take part in the opening ceremonies at Olympic Stadium in London scheduled for Friday, July 27. She is scheduled to compete in the steeplechase on August 4 with the finals scheduled for August 6.
Full coverage of the Olympics can be found at www.london2012.com/