EUGENE, Ore. -- BGSU cross country/track & field rising sophomore star Rachael Hoover took fifth place in the 800m at the USA Track & Field (USATF) U20 Championships last weekend.

Hoover ran a 2:09.74 at the Championships, which took place at the University of Oregon's Hayward Field.

In order to be initially eligible, one must hit a qualifying standard any time from June 1, 2024 to June 8, 2025 and be at least 14 years old on the day of competition but not turn 20 years old at any time in 2025.

The automatic qualifying time for the women's 800m was 2:09.00 which she initially hit during her first collegiate outdoor meet at the Raleigh Relays (2:08.78).

Hoover's best mark in the event this season came at Hillsdale's Last Chance Meet (2:07.61).

The Plain City, Ohio native had one of the best freshman campaigns in recent memory for the Falcons and was a major reason BGSU won both the MAC indoor and outdoor titles. She was the MAC runner-up in the outdoor 800m and became the second-best performer in the event in BGSU history with her mark at Hillsdale, just 0.13 seconds off Tracy Gaerke's record set in 1989.

Hoover also had a stellar indoor season as she helped break the 26-year-old program record in the distance medley relay (DMR) in addition to winning a MAC title in the event and breaking the conference record. She also took sixth in the 800m at the MAC Championships and became the first Falcon to score in the event since 2008.

For complete results of the U20 Championships, please see the link here.

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