North Rockland's Katelyn Tuohy cuts times from Olympic Trials, first win since turning pro

When Katelyn Tuohy ran to a 12th-place finish in the final of the U.S. Olympic Trials women's 5,000-meter race last month, she expressed satisfaction.

Her finishing time didn't approach her all-tme best. But qualifying earlier in the Trials for the final was in itself a victory after injuries had sidelined her from competition throughout the year and kept her out of training for about five months.

Tuohy said opening her season at the Trials wasn't "ideal," but it was clear her 15:33.4 finals finish reflected her long layoff and faster times would follow.

It just wasn't clear they'd follow so quickly.

Saturday night, Tuohy showed that the Trials' were pretty much a warmup to a promising post-collegiate career.

Competing in the Sound Running Sunset Tour women's 5,000 at Occidental College in Los Angeles, the 2020 North Rockland High graduate recorded her first win as an Adidas-sponsored pro, clocking 15:07.1

Tuohy's personal-best time in the event is 15:03.12. She ran that at another Sound Running meet in 2023, while still competing for North Carolina State, where she was a record-setting, multiple-time All-American.

At that point, her 15:03.12 was-an NCAA record.

Neither what she ran Saturday nor her personal best would have qualified her for the Paris Olympics. But her Occidental clocking would have placed her a very solid sixth at the Trials.

That finishing position was held by Brooks pro Ally Buchalski, who ran 15.12.87. Saturday, the 29-year-old Buchalski finished second to Tuohy in 15:12.55.

Just the beginning: Ex-local HS track stars Tuohy and Baloga exit first of likely many Olympic Trials to come

At 22, Tuohy became the second-youngest runner to make the 5,000 Trials final. The University of Florida's Parker Valby, who now holds the women's 5,000-meter NCAA mark, was the youngest at 21. Valby finished fourth in the Trials' 5,000 and qualified for Paris with a second-place finish in the 10,000-meter run.

While not heading to this year's Olympic Games, Tuohy plans to go overseas this summer, looking to further lower her times and make her first appearance on the European track circuit.

Nancy Haggerty covers cross-country, track & field, field hockey, skiing, , girls lacrosse and other sporting events for The Journal News/lohud. Follow her on Twitter at both @HaggertyNancy and at @LoHudHockey.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: North Rockland's Katelyn Tuohy cuts times from Olympic Trials, first win since turning pro