Sylvia Russell

Luke Zacharias

Dis

/ Track & Field

Photo by: Virginia Athletics

Photo by: Walt Beazley/Arkansas

Position:
Distance
Height:
5-8
Class:
Sophomore
High School/Previous School:
J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate / Buffalo
Hometown:
Ajax, Ont.

2021 Outdoor Season

At the Florida Relays, she placed first in the 3000m steeplechase, finishing with a new personal-best time of 10:14.26 and moving into the No. 3 spot at State (4/2) ... Had an eighth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase at the Virginia Challenge (4/16) ... Finished the 1500m for the first time on the season in 4:33.00, coming in seventh place at the Maroon & White Invite (4/30) ... At the SEC Championships, she ran to a 10th-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase and ran in the 5000m (5/15) ... Updated her personal-best in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA East Prelims, finishing in 17th at 10:14.15 (5/29).

2021 Indoor Season

Placed 10th in the Razorback Invitational's 5000m race after finishing in 17:38.22 (1/30) ... Finished 16th in the 3000m at 9:45.54 at the Music City Challenge (2/13) ... Placed 12th in the 5000m at SEC Championships, and she ran a leg of the DMR as well finishing in 11th place (2/25-26).

2020 Cross Country Season

Was State's top finisher and set a new personal best in each race ... Paced the Bulldogs at the SEC Preview (9/19), crossing the line eighth overall with a personal-best time of 17:28.6 in the 5K ... Placed ninth at the FSU Invite (10/2), completing the 5K in a personal-best time of 17:13.6 ... Earned 19th place at the UAB Blazer Classic (10/16), covering the 6K course in 20:51.87 ... Ran a personal best at the SEC Championship (10/30), crossing the line 23rd in 20:48.9.

2020 Outdoor Season

Season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 Indoor Season

Placed third in the 1000m at the Blazer Invitational (1/11) … Also placed first in the Distance Medley Relay at UAB … Ran in the mile at the Vanderbilt Invitational (1/18) … Placed fifth in the 3000m at the Power 5 Invitational (1/31) ... Placed sixth in the 3000m while also recording a personal best at 9:41.90 at the Music City Challenge (2/15) ... Clocked in at 9:48.03 in the 3000m at the SEC Indoor Championships (2/29).

2019 Cross Country

Was the first Bulldog to cross the line in the Commodore Classic (9/14) 6K, finishing 35^th with a time of 22:18.9 ... Placed 15^th in the Louisville Classic (10/5) 5K, setting a new personal-best time of 17:32.7 ... Was the Bulldogs' highest finisher in the UAB Blazer Classic (10/18) 6K, crossing the line seventh in 21:09.68 ... For the fourth time in 2019, was the first Bulldog to cross the line at the SEC Championship (11/1), finishing 43^rd with a time of 21:21.6 ... Set a new personal-best in the NCAA South Region Championship (11/15) 6K, finishing in 21:05.9.

2019 Outdoor Season

Finished fourth in the 1500m at the Al Schmidt Bulldog Relays (3/22) with a then-personal-best time of 4:35.42 … Placed 18^th in the 3000m steeplechase at the Raleigh Relays (3/29) with a time of 10:40.75 … Ran a personal-best 4:28.90 to place 10^th in the 1500m at the Crimson Tide Invitational (4/11) … Finished 22^nd in the 3000m steeplechase at the Bryan Clay Invitational (4/18) with a run of 10:43.09 … Won the 1500m in 4:30.98 at the Southern Miss Open (4/27) … Clocked a then-personal-best in the 3000m steeplechase to place fifth and score at the SEC Championships (5/10) in 10:26.27 … Also ran the 5000m in 16:53.49 … Ran a personal-best 10:21.79 in the 3000m steeplechase at the NCAA East Prelims (5/24).

2019 Indoor Season

Made her MSU debut in the 3000m at the Music City Challenge (2/9), running 9:59.35 … Placed 16^th in the 3000m to be MSU’s highest finisher at the SEC Championships (2/23) with a personal-best time of 9:50.83.

2018 Cross Country Season

Did not compete.

2018 Outdoor Season

Did not compete.

2018 Indoor Season

Did not compete.

2017 Cross Country Season (at Buffalo)

Finished third at the Harry Lang Invitational to open the season … Placed ninth in the 6K at the UB Stampede Invite (9/15) … Finished the Paul Short Gold (9/29) 6K in 21:38.2 … Took 28^th in the 6K at the Penn State National Open (10/13), running a personal-best 21:08.5 … Clocked in at 21:48.2 in the 6K at the MAC Championships (10/28), finishing 24^th … Finished 54^th at the Northeast Region Championships (11/10), running the 6K in 22:53.0.

2017 Outdoor Season (at Buffalo)

Opened the season with an 11:10.28 in the 3000m steeplechase at the Fred Hardy Invitational (3/24) … Clocked in at 4:48.70 in the 1500m at the Sam Howell Invitational (4/8) … Placed seventh at the Bison Outdoor Classic (4/14), running the 3000m steeplechase in 10:49.07 … Finished eighth in the 3000m steeplechase at the Jesse Owens University Classic (4/21) … Ran the 3000m at the Buffalo Invite (4/29) in 10:02.04 for second place … Placed fifth in the 3000m steeplechase at the MAC Championships (5/11) with a personal-best time of 10:29.07 … Qualified for the NCAA East Prelims (5/25) in the 3000m steeplechase.

2017 Indoor Season (at Buffalo)

Ran the mile and was part of the third-place 4x800m relay team at the Upstate Challenge (1/21) to open the year … Ran a personal-best mile in 5:06.06 to place fifth at the SPIRE Midwest Open (1/27) where she also was a member of the third-place distance medley relay team … Was the runner-up in the 3000m at the Akron Invitational (2/3) with a personal-best 9:58.02 … Clocked a 5:06.12 mile at the SPIRE Indoor Invitational (2/10) … Ran the 3000m at the MAC Championships (2/24) in 10:12.23.

2016 Cross Country Season (at Buffalo)

Set a personal-best in the 5K with a run of 18:21.0 at the Harry Lang Invitational (9/3) to open her career … Placed ninth at the UB Stampede Invite (9/16), running the 6K in 22:26.9 … Ran the 6K at the Paul Short Gold (10/1) in 21:52.8 … Finished the Penn State National Open (10/14) 10K in 22:16.9 … Clocked a 23:42.8 in the 6K at the MAC Championships (10/29).

Academics / Service

Named USTFCCCA All-Academic for the 2021 season ... A three-time SEC Honor Roll Member in fall of 2019, spring 2020 and fall 2020 ... A six-time Bulldog Honor Roll member.

Before the Bulldogs

Attended University at Buffalo … Graduated from J Clark Richardson Collegiate where she ran track and cross country … Served as team captain for the cross country team as a junior and senior … Named the cross country team MVP in each of her final three seasons … Named the Female Athlete of the Year in 2016 after winning the LOSAA and OFSAA Central Region steeplechase titles … Holds the 1500m steeplechase record for the LOSAA Region … Was an OFSAA medalist in the same event … Ran for her club team the Durham Dragons who were the provincial champions her freshman year … Dragons won the 2016 National Bronze Medal in cross country … Set her club’s record for the 1500m steeplechase … Twice ran for Team Ontario … Also played field hockey … Was a member of the athletic council, graduated with honors and was an Ontario Scholar recipient.

Personal

Born Sylvia Margaret Russell on July 19, 1998 to Clive and Lynda Russell … Has two sisters, Myriam and Olivia … Majoring in psychology.

Collegiate Bests:

Indoor

1000m – 2:57.78 (UAB Blazer Invitational – 1/10/2020)
Mile – 4:59.92 (Vanderbilt Invitational – 1/18/2020)
3000m – 9:41.90 (Music City Challenge – 2/15/2020)

Outdoor

1500m – 4:28.90 (Crimson Tide Invitational – 4/11/2019)
3000m – 10:02.04^ (Buffalo Invite – 4/29/2017)
3000m Steeplechase – 10:14.15 (NCAA East Prelims – 5/29/2021)
5000m – 16:53.49 (SEC Championships – 5/11/2019)

Cross Country

5K – 17:13.6 (FSU Invite – 10/2/2020)
6K – 20:48.9 (SEC Championship – 10/30/2020)

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2018 Track & Field Roster

Roster

Marco Arop

Katherine Badham

Jaylah Bailey

Blake Beavers

Logan Boss

Charles Brockman III

Shayla Broughton

Vince Castillo

Charlotte Cayton-Smith

Terryon Conwell

Benjamin Craw

Lawrence Crawford

Giacomo DeLuca

Dejon Devroe

Caitlin Donovan

McKenzie Ethridge

Brian Evans

Shannon Fair

Alexis Farley

Tiffany Flynn

Caden Foos

Faith Gilbert

Antonia Hehr

Audrey Honiotes

Freddie Jackson III

Stephan James

Tiffaney Johnson

Gralyn Jones

Stephen Jones

Karson Kowalchuk

Madelyn Lee

Alon Lewis

JT Mackay

Mia Meydrich

Lester Miller

Reggie Miller

Derrick Monroe

Monica Mosley

Daniel Nixon

Lisa Oed

Tristan Orman

Anderson Peters

Stephanie Peterson

Aaron Phelps

Rhianwedd Price-Weimer

Nicolas Quijera

Willie-Lionel Reed

Quintin Reiser

John Dalton Rohr

Sylvia Russell

Micah Ryan

Justice Sims

Kenya Small

Brianna Smith

Keturah Smith

Ro'Derick Spears

Lake Spradling

Alyssa Staubach

Ava Strenge

Rasheed Tatham

Malcum Tatum

Carly Terp

Kristy Terp

Curtis Thompson

Zaria Tillman

Chardae Tryon

Emma Tucker

Chandler Underwood

Adrienn Veisz

Alicia Viveros

Alex Wallace

Juston Waters

Zach Weaver

Riley White

Kayla Williams

Joshua Willingham

Herbert Wise III