Hillsdale College Congratulates Amanda Eccleston on 2016 Olympic Trial Performance

HILLSDALE, Mich., July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hillsdale College today congratulated former Chargers track-and-field star Amanda Eccleston (née Putt), class of 2012, for her stunning, photo-finish performance during the 1500m final at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Eccleston finished with a time of 4:06:19, three-hundredths of a second behind third-place finisher and Olympic qualifier Brenda Martinez.

"I'm happy with how I ran today," Eccleston said during an interview with Letsrun.com. "Physically I don't think I could have done anything else. I'm super pleased with how I finished. I'm only 26, so I look forward to coming back and competing again in four years."

Eccleston holds the Hillsdale College record in the mile, 800 meter, 3K and 5K races. She graduated with a biology major and competed at the University of Michigan for one year. She now runs professionally for Brooks Running.

"Amanda was a tremendous talent at Hillsdale," said Don Brubacher, athletic director for the college. "Her drive to achieve excellence in every way, including her academic life, is why she has risen to this elite level. It is a testament to the character built at Hillsdale College. We wish her even greater success in future competitions."

The team trials were held July 1-10 at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

About Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an extensive educational outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 3.4 million.

SOURCE Hillsdale College