On the run: Quarzo qualifies for U20 World CC Championships
Jolena Quarzo has competed at various top-flight levels throughout her running career.
The Brownsville graduate will now compete with the world’s finest runners after her third-place finish Saturday in the 2024 USATF U20 Cross Country Championships.
The North Carolina State freshman finished the 6k course in 20:44. New York’s Zariel Macchia won the race in 20:31, a mere .9 seconds ahead of Virgiinia’s Allie Zealand.
North Carolina’s Mary Bonner (20:46.7), Formula TC’s Maddie Gardiner (20:48.2), and Emerging Elites’ Ellie Shea (20:53.) rounded out the top-6 finishers and qualifiers for the World Championships.
“My main goal was to get in the top 6,” said Quarzo. “I wanted a good time. I knew it would be tough with the weather. It was 30 degrees, but felt like 19. It was a little muddy. There was a race before us.
“I’m satisfied with my time.”
The 2024 World Athletics Cross Country Championships will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on March 30. The host site will be the Park of Friendship, alongside the Danube River.
International course layouts are more akin to “across the country” as opposed to the cross country layouts Quarzo has competed on throughout her career.
So, the course setup for Richmond’s Pole Green Park attempted to replicate those details with three 2k loops on a European-style grass course with the occasional obstacle to overcome.
“It was a grass field with a little bit of hills. It wasn’t too difficult. It was pretty flat. I’m from Pennsylvania,” explained Quarzo. “There were two sets of hay bales close to each other, and two sets of logs. Then, at the end of the course was another log.
“They don’t (set up a course that way) in the NCAA.”
Quarzo said the obstacles affected her cadence.
“I’m short. The (hay bales and logs) were thick. I had to get my stride back (after crossing the obstacles). It was not easy to adjust to. It messed up my stride,” said Quarzo.
Quarzo went out with the lead pack of 10 runners as Shea led the way at the first kilometer split. Quarzo sat in seventh place at the split, about a second behind.
She moved into fifth place at the 2k split, trailing Macchia by a second.
The lead pack slimmed down to four runners. Macchia still led with Quarzo right on her heels in second place. The two runners were joined by Zealand and Bonner at the 4k split, and the quartet remained together at the 5k mark.
Quarzo redshirted for the fall cross country season, but still worked out with the team.
“My coach asked me during the cross country season (if she wanted to run the USATF meet),” said Quarzo. “My coach stepped up my workouts (to prepare for the meet).”
Quarzo will now represent the United States of America in an international race.
“It’s really cool. I’m so excited. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Quarzo. “To get to represent the country, it’s a really cool experience.”