It was just the international debut Erinn Stenman-Fahey was looking for when she stepped on to the track today in Eugene, Oregon – a personal best and a birth in tomorrow’s 800m semi-finals at the IAAF World Junior Championships.
Sitting in sixth for most of the race, Erinn swung wide as she hit the homestretch and started to make her move. “It felt really good, I felt strong. They went out fast, I stayed with the 2nd pack and picked runners off,” remarked the 17 year old. She would cross the line in fourth in a lifetime best of 2:06.96.
As a result, Stenman-Fahey was forced to sit and wait on the results of the fourth and final heat to find out if she would qualify on time. After a short wait, her fate was sealed and she would live to run another day. Unable to hold back the excitement, Erinn proclaimed, “That was fun!”
With her time, Erinn now moves into 10th all time in club history, and also becomes the first female Lion to advance to a World Junior semi-final since Karelle Edwards qualified in the 100m hurdles at the 2008 championship in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
You can watch Erinn’s race on the IAAF’s YouTube Channel
