San Angelo, Texas- Clayton College & State University senior distance runner Joni Guffey put an exclamation point on a sparkling collegiate running career Saturday in the NCAA Track & Field Championships placing sixth in the 1500m race, posting a school record time of 4:34.53.

The sixth place finish in the 1500m final garnered her Division II All-American honors as the top eight runners in the event received the honor at the national meet hosted by Angelo State University.

"Being named an All-American is a wonderful achievement for Joni," said head coach Mike Mead. "She had a perfect ending to her collegiate running career. She ran a personal best and set a new school in her final collegiate race."

After remaining near the rear of the pack for the first two laps of the race, Guffey made her move in the final 200m, picking off two runners and moving from eighth to sixth place.

Mandi Long, Grand Valley State, won the event posting a time of 4:28.53, followed by Alisha Williams, Western State, with a time of 4:30.08. Andrea Hurbina, Western State, placed third with a time of 4:31.66, followed by Katie Hostetler-Farri, Northern Colorado, with a time of 4:33.73. Margaret Miklovic, Missouri Southern State, finished fifth and three-tenths of second in front of Guffey with a time of 4:34.23.

Guffey qualified for Saturday's finals by placing fifth in her heat on Thursday with a time 4:36.45, the fifth fastest of the two heats and at the time her second fastest time ever.

Clayton State's fifth All-American in its 12-year history, Guffey is the first female CCSU athlete to receive All-American honors. She along with men's soccer player Josh Grenier, who was named an All-American in 2000, are the school's only first-team All-Americans. Men's golfers Adam Short and Dave Kelly received second-team and third-team honors in 1999, while men's basketball player Robert Conley received third team honors in 1998-99.

"Joni is the epitome of what it means to be a student-athlete and has been a fine representative of Clayton State," said Mead "She has set a high standard for our program and set the bar for runners who will follow in her footsteps."

A senior from Frankfort, KY, Guffey is one of the most decorated student-athletes in Clayton State's history. In addition to her accomplishments on the track, she has also excelled in the classroom, evidenced by being named Thursday to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-District III Women's Track & Field/Cross Country Team.

Guffey was one of 10 student athletes to be honored with the award and will now be on the national ballot and eligible for being named a Verizon Academic All-American. She has the rare opportunity to be named both an All-American on the playing field and in the classroom.

The Women's Track/Cross Country All-American team will be announced on Thursday, June 20. Clayton State's District III College Division consists of all non-NCAA Division I colleges and universities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Guffey graduated magna cum laude with a 3.82 grade point average and was CCSU's top accounting graduate for 2002. She received the 2002 Lady Laker Award presented to the program's top female student-athlete and the H. Mason Barfield Award presented to the athlete with the highest grade point average. She is also a three-time selection to the Cross Country Coaches Association's Academic All-American team.

In the 2001 national meet, Guffey finished fifth in her heat and was seven-tenths of a second from advancing to the finals after posting a time of 4:41.81. At last year's national meet, the top four finishers from each heat advanced plus the four fastest times from both races.

Last fall, Guffey had a record-breaking season in cross country, recording the three fastest 5K times in school history, while breaking the 6K record. She was also named to Division II's All-South Region team and to the Peach Belt All-Conference team for the second time.