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Allison Laske

BUFFALO, NY - University at Buffalo middle-distance runner Allison Laske (Canandaigua, NY/Canandaigua Academy) has been selected as the Mid-American Conference's Women's Track and Field Athlete of the Week.

Laske qualified for the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials with a "B" standard time of 2:04.81 to finish fourth in the 800-meter run at Stanford University's Cardinal Invitational this past weekend. The time also broke her existing UB school record of 2:09.63 which she had set earlier this season at the Raleigh Relays.

In a tight race, Laske was among a group of five runners that crossed the finish line within less than 1.25 seconds of each other. Frances Santin of Santa Monica Track Club won the race in 2:03.73. Tamika Williams of the Nike Farm Team, an elite training group based in Palo Alto, was second in 2:04.40 while Kentucky's Beth Heimann was the only collegian to finish ahead of Laske in 2:04.69. Another Nike Farm Team runner, Andrea Morgan, finished fifth in 2:04.88. All five attained the "B" standard for Olympic Trial qualifying of 2:04.90. Thirty athletes will make the field for the trials this July in Sacramento.

Laske's time is the fastest 800-meter mark in both the Mid-American Conference and the NCAA East Region this year. She also holds the UB outdoor record in the 1,500-meter run at 4:27.15, set at April's Bucknell Bison Open, the second-fastest time in the MAC this season. A senior, Laske also set indoor records in the 500- (1:16.15) and 800-meter (2:07.62) in the 2003-04 season.