MARION, Ind. -- John Brown University senior Anna Keys concluded her collegiate career Wednesday (May 21) afternoon, finishing 18th overall with a time of 4:55.17 in the women's 1,500 meter preliminary at the NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships held at the IWU Track and Field Complex.
Competing in the first of two heats, Keys found herself in seventh position at the 300-meter mark with a split of 2:11.928. The Golden Eagle middle-distance specialist faced a challenging middle portion of the race, dropping to 10th in her heat by the 700-meter mark (3:33.376) before recovering slightly to finish ninth in the heat.
"What an incredible collegiate career for Anna," first-year head coach Peter Cunningham admitted at the close of the season. "She was far from just a flash in the pan. Despite a late start, she experienced a meteoric rise. Anna joined the program in the second semester of her junior year. We knew she had potential, as she'd been training solo for a marathon. She quickly demonstrated impressive speed and was, quite literally, off to the races. She is one of the hardest-working and most internally driven student-athletes I've ever met. Her calm confidence, combined with her relentless work ethic, set an impactful tone for everyone around her.
"While her one and only trip to nationals didn't end the way she wanted — or the way we believe she's capable of — her body of work across a short but highly effective 18 months as a Golden Eagle speaks volumes about the quality of Anna Keys as an athlete and a person."
Montreat's (N.C.) Dylan Garcia produced the day's most dramatic finish, edging Milligan's (Tenn.) Ellen-Mary Kearney by just four-hundredths of a second (4:35.62 to 4:35.66) to take the top qualifying spot.
Keys, who entered the championships seeded 19th with her silver medal finish at the Sooner Athletic Championships (4:46.94), faced a field that included pre-race favorite Holly MacGillivray of British Columbia, who qualified sixth overall with a time of 4:37.35.
While falling short of advancing to Friday's final, Keys' appearance at the national championships caps a career defined by steady progression. After recording a personal best of 4:49.38 at last season's Arkansas Twilight, the senior shaved nearly three seconds off that mark at this year's SAC Championships to punch her ticket to nationals.
"We wish Anna the best of luck as she moves for medical school at the University of Kansas," added Cunningham. "She is a wonderful woman and an exceptional athlete. Anna, 'you are Chihuahua!'"
Keys becomes the second consecutive Golden Eagle to represent the Blue and Gold in the women's 1,500 meters at nationals, following Cera Eckenroth's appearance in 2024.
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