Rachel Velarde 2011-12 Cross Country Roster

AS A SENIOR: Ran in five meets during the cross country season … placed 34th out of 138 runners at the 6K BIG EAST Championships in a season-best time of 21:16.8 … earned 31st place out of 227 runners at the 6K NCAA Great Lakes Regional (21:25.2) … also ran for the Irish at the 6K NCAA National Championships (21:40.9) … opened season with a 14th place finish out of 272 runners at the 5K National Catholic Championships (17:55) … rounded out preparations for conference meet with a 137th place finish out of 305 runners at the 6K Wisconsin Invitational (21:31.1) … earned a cross country monogram … fifth-place finisher in the 3,000 at the Notre Dame Invitational … claimed fifth place in the 10,000 at the Stanford Invitational … competed at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships and the NCAA East Preliminary Round in the 10,000m … finished seventh in the 5,000m run at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships (16:50.49) to earn two points for the Irish … 2011-12 Rosenthal Leadership Academy participant … named a team captain prior to the beginning of the season with Rebecca Tracy for cross country and with Maddie Buttinger for track and field … earned a track and field monogram.

AS A JUNIOR: Ran in five cross country meets … placed ninth at the National Catholic Invitational 5K in 18:05 … also finished 41st at the 6K Great Lakes Regional in 21:43.83 … competed in 12 meets during the track and field season … specialized in the distance events … ran the 10,000 meters at the outdoor NCAA East Regionals … finished third out of 34 runners in the 5,000m at the outdoor Gina Relays in 17:00.03 … also earned third place out of 28 runners in the 1,500m at the outdoor Purdue Dave Rankin Invitational in a personal best 4:39.74 … scored for the Irish in the 5,000m at the BIG EAST Indoor Championships in a personal best 16:36.87 … placed second out of 17 runners in the 3,000 at the indoor Notre Dame Invitational in 9:46.99 … also earned second out of 10 runners in the 3,000m at the indoor Blue & Gold Invitational in 9:53.85 … earned a monogram in both cross country and track and field.

AS A SOPHOMORE: Took to the course in six of the seven Irish cross country meets on the schedule … garnered a fifth-place finish at the National Catholic Invitational after stopping the clock at 18:05.0 … crossed the line in 66th at the Notre Dame Invitational after completing the circuit in 17:41 … registered a 21:50.4 at the Pre-National Meet, finishing 74th … crossed fifth among the Irish racers at the BIG EAST Championship, freezing the clock at 22:40 … earned Great Lakes all-region recognition after finishing 15th overall and third among Irish racers in 21:32.40 … improved on her NCAA finish by 25 spots from her freshman year, crossing 130th in 21:43.3 … raced the 5,000 at both the Dave Rankin Invitational and Gina Relays … at the Dave Rankin Invite, crossed fourth with a 17:56.95 … finished 22nd at the Gina Relays after completing the race with a mark of 17:54.12.

AS A FRESHMAN: Impressive in her Notre Dame debut, finishing fifth in the National Catholic Championship in 18:11 while helping the Irish take home the team title … finished 54th at the Notre Dame Invitational, completing the circuit in 17:34 … placed 115th in the Pre- NCAA Meet (22:03) … posted a 21:36 time to finish 34th at the BIG EAST Cross Country Championship … ran a 22:06 to finish 34th at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, helping the Irish qualify for the NCAA Championship with a fourth-place finish … posted a 21:42 at her first NCAA Championship, good for 155th … place made her only track and field appearance of the season at the Notre Dame Indoor Opener, finishing third in the 1,600 in 5:06.85.

HIGH SCHOOL AND PERSONAL: Seven- time letterwinner in cross country and track at Eldorado (N.M.) … cross country city and district champion as a senior … earned cross country all-district honors all four years and all- city and all-state honors as a junior and senior … won back-to-back state cross country team titles … regional and state track champion as a junior and senior … earned track all-district and all-state honors as a freshman, junior and senior … holds the school record in the 1,600 (5:06), 3,200 (11:12) and 1,600 relay (4:13) … city record holder in the 1,600 relay (4:13) … member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Student Senate and DECA … born in Dallas, Texas … daughter of Jerry and Jeannette Velarde … youngest of three children … sister, Rebecca, competed in cross country and track at William and Mary … sister, Melanie, ran track and cross country at the University of New Mexico … aunt, Sally Marquez, played basketball at New Mexico … graduated from the College of Arts and Letters with a degree in psychology … also earned a secondary degree from the College of Arts and Letters in pre-professional studies.

VELARDE[apos]S CAREER OUTDOOR BESTS

VELARDE[apos]S OUTDOOR BESTS