Ruzevic Earns All-American Honors at NCAA Meet

 

DES MOINES, Iowa - For the first time since the 2001 season, the Tulane track and field team watched as a student-athlete earned All-American honors. On Thursday (June 9), junior Ana Ruzevic grabbed a fourth place showing in the javelin at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships at the Drake Stadium complex.

"We are so proud of Ana," said Tulane head coach Eric Peterson. "The way that she continually steps up and performs above the level of expectation on the biggest stages is remarkable. She has done this several times over the past couple of years and I really give her credit for being such a good competitor in the moment. I know coming into this meet she had an unusually high level of stress due to some lower back pain she has been battling all season. We talked to her about the accomplishments that she has had at the conference level and the regional level and after all of that she walked away from today with a fourth place showing. The way she competes in the post season is the true mark of a champion level athlete and I couldn't be happier for her than I am tonight."

Ruzevic opened the competition with a toss of 47.87-meters, before claiming her best throw of the afternoon in just her second toss. The Split, Croatia native heaved the javelin 50.40-meters and qualified in fourth place entering the finals in the event. She was unable to improve on her mark in the finals, but neither were any of the competitors behind her and Ruzevic earned First Team All-American honors. The finish also gave Tulane five points in the team race, marking the first time since the 1999 slate that the Green Wave will end the meet ranked in the team race.

"Coach Smith also deserves a lot of credit," said Peterson. "He has been very patient with Ana this season and helped guide Ana through this injury. Those two have formed a very strong relationship that is built on trust and mutual respect and I know that really contributed to her success. She was very calm and under control today and once she hit the 50-meter mark on her second throw, we knew that she had positioned herself for a very good finish." 

The 50.40-meter mark is her second longest throw of the season, just behind her school record toss of 51.37-meters that was set in the season opening meet. In five competitions this season, the junior has won three of them, finished third at the NCAA East Regional and grabbed the fourth place showing at the NCAA National Meet.

"Ana represented herself, our program and Tulane University with honor and distinction tonight," Peterson said. "We are very pleased and satisfied with tonight's result. We are very excited and this is a great way to end the season."

It is the first time since the 1999 that a Green Wave student-athlete has pulled in All-American honors and is the first time in school history that an athlete earned All-American honors in a field event. Only Hanne Lyngstad has posted a higher individual finish at the national meet, grabbing third place in the 1500 meter run at the 1999 event. 

Tulane Track and Field All-Americans
2011 - Ana Ruzevic (OT, Javelin; 4th place) 
2001 - Marie Ahlander (IT, Triple Jump; 6th place)
2001 - Nadja Petersen (IT, 400m; 3rd place) 
1999 - Hanne Lyngstad (OT, 1500m; 3rd place) 
1999 - Hanne Lyngstad (IT, Mile; 3rd place)
1999 - Hanne Lyngstad (IT, DMR; 3rd place)
1999 - Lana Garner (IT, DMR; 3rd place)
1999 - Katrina Gemmell (IT, DMR; 3rd place)
1999 - Alison Lambert (IT, DMR; 3rd place) 
1998 - Hanne Lyngstad (OT, 1500m; 4th place) 
1998 - Hanne Lyngstad (IT, Mile; 6th place) 
1997 - Nadia Smith (IT, High Jump; 6th Place)