Natalie Florence

Height:
5-3
Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Lawrenceville, Ga.
High School:
Collins Hill

PERSONAL BESTS

Indoor:

Mile: 5:04.56 (2003)

3,000-Meter: 9:29.19 (2003)

5,000-Meter: 16:10.99 (2003)

Outdoor:

3,000-Meter: 9:36.62 (2003)

5,000-Meter: 16:22 (2002)

10,000-Meter: 33:40.46 (2002)

Steeplechase: 10:28.24 (2003)

BIG 12 SCORING

2004 (O) 10,000-Meter, 7th (36:46.69)

2004 (O) Steeplechase, 4th (10:43.48)

2003 (I) 3,000-Meter, 3rd (9:31.00)

2003 (I) 5,000-Meter, 3rd (16:22.0)

2002 (I) 5,000-Meter, 5th (16:33.23)

2002 (O) Steeplechase, 2nd (10:30.26)

HONORS

2003 Indoor 5,000-Meter All-American

2003 NCAA Regional Steeplechase Champion

2005 Outlook: Florence has been an All-American often interrupted by injury in the spring. If the staff can find a way to keep her healthy, she will be a huge contributor.

2004: During the indoor season, Florence won the 3,000-meter race at the Air Force Invite. In the 5,000, she finished ninth at the Big 12 Championships. During the outdoor season, she ran a team-best 9:38.27 in the 3K, good for second place at the Pepsi Invitational and regional qualification. She also ran a regional qualifying time in the 5,000, placing 12th at the Mt. SAC Relays (16:48.93), and in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, running a team-best 10:42.35 finishing third at regionals. She went on to place 12th in the steeplechase at the NCAA Championships. She took seventh place at the Big 12 Championships in the 10,000-meter run (36:46.69).

2003: Indoors, at the Air Force Classic, she recorded a team-best 5:04.56 for a second place finish in the mile. She ran the 3,000 and 5,000-meter runs at the Big 12 Championships and the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Championships. In the 3,000-meter, she established a season-best 9:29.19 in a second place finish at the Frank Sevigne Invite, but took third at the Big 12 Championships in 9:31. Her 16:22.09 time and third-place finish in the 5,000-meter at the Big 12 Championships advanced her to the NCAA Championships, where she finished ninth (16:10.99), shattering her previous PR of 16:21.41. Outdoors, Florence established team-bests in the 3K and steeplechase, qualifying for the NCAA Championships in the latter. She finished second in the 3,000 at the Pepsi Team Invite (9:36.62), and was crowned the NCAA Regional Champion in the steeplechase with a personal best 10:28.24 before earning a 14th place finish at the NCAA Prelims (10:45.21). In the 10K, Florence claimed 14th at the Mt. SAC Relays (35:11.69).

2002: Indoors, Florence finished third at the Husker Invite in the 3,000-meters (9:39.54) and 15th at the Big 12 Championships (9:59.78). She won the 5,000-meters (17:13.90) at the Husker Invite and fifth at the Big 12 Championships (16:33.23). In the outdoor season, she earned a second place finish at the Big 12 Championships in the steeplechase (10:30.26). Florence placed fourth in the 1,500-meters at the Air Force Quadrangular (4:47.41). She grabbed second place in the 1,500-meter at the Colorado Invite (4:45.8). Florence set a personal record in the 5,000-meter race (16:21.41) at the Cardinal Invite for 14th place, and was named an NCAA provisional qualifier. She secured a time of 33:40.46 in the 10,000-meter at the Mt. SAC Relays for an 11th place finish and an NCAA Automatic selection.

Cross Country: The 2003 Big 12 Conference champion was all-conference in 2002, 03 and ’04, all-region in 2001, 02, and ’04 and All-American in 2002 and ’04 in pacing the Buffs to the national title in the latter with a 30th place finish. She has run 21 career races, scoring in all but her first of her redshirt freshman season.

High School: Florence was an all-league, all-region and all-state performer in cross-country and in the two-mile her freshman through senior seasons. She graduated from Collins Hill with prep records in the mile (5:07) and the two-mile (11:02). Her Eagles team was the Gwinnett County cross-country champions her junior season.

Academics: A design studies major at Colorado, Florence was named to the Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times.

Personal: Natalie Michelle Florence was born in Atlanta on Christmas day, 1981. She is the daughter of Bobby and Lisa Florence of Lawrenceville, and has a 17-year-old brother, Andy.