Women's Track & Field | 4/18/2016 9:45:00 PM

Information from Runner's World and NBC Sports Network is used in this story and cited where referenced.

Special thanks to Dillon Gracey for the photos. 

IN THE PRESS (a sampling): 
Runner's World // New York Times // Public Opinion // Daily Camera // The Slate // Boston Herald // CBS-21  

Neely Spence Gracey '12 completed the prestigious women's elite race at the 2016 Boston Marathon on Monday in ninth place, finishing as the top U.S. female in the field.
 
The 8-time NCAA champion at Shippensburg University completed her first-ever marathon just two days after celebrating her 26th birthday. Gracey was born on Marathon Monday in 1990 – the same day her father Steve Spence '85 finished 19th in the Boston Marathon.
 
Per Runner's World magazine, Gracey was quoted as being content with her performance. "I'm definitely pleased," she said to the magazine. "I ran conservatively. I wanted to be set up for a positive outcome. I met my goals of Top 10 and 2:35."
 
Her time Monday was 2:35 on the dot – an average of a 5:55 mile.
 
Right around the 10,000-meter mark (marathons are 42,195 meters [26.2 miles]), Gracey and fellow American Sarah Crouch were leading the marathon. Again, per Runner's World, Neely said: "We were saying, 'Wow, we are leading the Boston Marathon. We need to take this in and relish the moment.'"
 
The U.S. field was smaller than normal at this year's marathon due to the Olympic Marathon Trials being held February 13. Still, it was ironic that the two lead Americans were Gracey and Crouch – runners who have a long history of shared competition that dates back to their days at NCAA Division II schools.
 
During her Shippensburg days, Gracey ran in multiple national championships races against Crouch (Sarah Porter, at the time) – a Western Washington alumna. Among the memorable head-to-head duals between the two included Neely's 2010 cross country national title in Louisville and her 2011 5K outdoor national title at Cal State Stanislaus.
 
On Monday, Gracey added to her already wonderful storybook with another memorable chapter. It figures to be her first of many successful marathons to come.
 
After the race, she was interviewed by the NBC Sports Network and was very emotional during a splendid post-race conversation.
 
"Oh my goodness, I just can't believe I just ran 26.2 miles," Gracey said, with her charismatic charm sneaking through despite fighting back tears.  
 
Neely was also asked by the NBC Sports reporter about what she would say to Steve, now that she had finished her first marathon.
 
"I have so much respect for him, doing 12 of these," Gracey said of her father. "I know that this is the beginning of my marathon career, and I hope this is the beginning of my following those footsteps."
 
For more information on Neely Spence Gracey's career at Shippensburg University, visit www.shipraiders.com/neelyspence.