Buchalski chases Olympic dream with pro contract

A second-place finish in the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships 5,000-meter event can lead to great things. Just days after sprinting past two runners in the final 100 meters of the contest in Eugene, Oregon to clinch the runner-up title, Furman University senior Allie Buchalski scored a spot on Seattle-based professional team Brooks Beasts Track Club.

Buchalski, a business and art graduate, came to Furman on a scholarship and with a goal to help redirect the university’s running program, according to an article appearing in The Greenville News. Said Furman assistant coach Rita Gary, “…without question, Allie is by far the best runner that Furman has ever seen.” Now, as a member of a professional club, the seven-time All-American has her sights set on the World Championships next year in Qatar, and then a spot on the U.S. team for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

Four other Paladins qualified for the 2018 NCAA Championships in Oregon — Frank Lara ’18 in the 10,000-meter run, Savannah Carnahan ’20, in the 5,000-meter and Kristlin Gear ’21 and Gabrielle Jennings ’20 in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.