Plourde Captures 1500m Title on Home Soil
MONTRÉAL – Fresh off finishing her outdoor season, Utah cross country and track & field sophomore Simone Plourde returned to her home soil and claimed victory in the women's 1500m elite division of La Classique d'athlétisme de Montréal with a lifetime best of 4:15.53 on Sunday at Complexe Claude-Robillard.
"It was so much fun to race home on the track where it all started for me with old friends and former teammates," Plourde said postrace. "To come here and run a PR a week after a disappointing end to my NCAA season is great for the moral and will serve as added motivation heading into Canadian Nationals in two weeks."
Simone Plourde du Club d'athlétisme Saint-Laurent Sélect remporte l'épreuve du 1500m -Volet Élite, présenté par Boutique Courir en 4:15,53 minutes, suivie de très près par Sasha Gollish et Jazz Shukla.
Félicitations à l'athlète et mention à son entraîneur Samuel Marion ! pic.twitter.com/HxBwk2y8MP
— Classique d'athlétisme de Montréal (@MtlClassique) June 6, 2022
Running as a member of Club d'athlétisme Saint-Laurent Sélect, Plourde paced herself well and stayed on the tails of Emma Galbraith before she stepped off to give Plourde the lead with about 800 meters remaining. The Montréal, Canada, native held that lead for about 500 meters heading into the bell lap before Sasha Gollish overtook Plourde with roughly 300 meters remaining.
Not to be denied, Plourde caught up to the veteran Gollish near the end of the final turn and passed Gollish down the straightaway to secure her lifetime best mark for the win.
Plourde will now have a couple weeks to rest and train for the Canadian Championships held June 22-26 at McLeod Athletics Park in Township of Langley, British Columbia.
For the latest news and information on the Utah cross country and track & field programs, fans can stay connected online at www.UtahUtes.com and on social media by following on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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