JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Christopher Alfond (Ashby, Mass.) punched his ticket to the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track Championships Wednesday night, running to a 12th place finish in the men's 10,000-meter semifinal at the NCAA East Preliminary in Jacksonville, Fla.
 
"That was unreal, Chris ran the race of his life tonight," said Head Coach Gary Gardner. "He needed to run the perfect race in order to qualify, and he executed it."
 
In a highly competitive semifinal field, Alfond secured his spot in the championships with an impressive effort, clocking in at 29:09.47.
 
"He's one of the top 24 runners in the country. I couldn't be prouder of him," remarked Gardner. "He's truly the heart and soul of the men's team."
 
The graduate student closed out the outdoor season with a second-place finish in the 10K at the America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships, crossing the finish line in 32:07.84. Earlier this season, Alfond registered his fastest collegiate time in the long-distance event with a 29:06.17 time at the Virginia Challenge.
 
The River Hawks continue their postseason run on Thursday, May 27, as graduate student Kaley Richards (Lowell, Mass.) and junior Izzy Giesing (Bradford, Vt.) take on the opening rounds of the women's 1,500-meter and 800-meter, respectively.