DURHAM, N.C. ? Duke senior Molly Lehman couldn't have asked for a better way to close out her collegiate career as she broke the school record in the 1500m in her final face as a Blue Devil.

Lehman was in Eugene, Ore. competing in the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. She had qualified for the finals earlier in the week with a time of 4:16.54. Her time was one second slower than her personal best and was good enough for 12th in the opening race.

“I had been running tactical races all year which helped for this race,” said Lehman, a native of Chanhassen, Minn. “It was how I wanted it to go, the race was fast and honest.”

In the finals Lehman ran her top career time, finishing eighth with a time of 4:12.13. She not only beat her previous best by three seconds but also broke the Duke record by over two seconds. The person who previously held the record was former All-America Shannon Rowbury (4:14.81), who coincidentally was in the race with Lehman and won the championship with a time of 4:05.07.

“It was a great feeling,” said Lehman. “I didn't think I would ever be able to compete in a national race and make the finals. It was great racing against all the pros. I was surprised and excited with both opportunities, really two good surprises.”

Lehman's time was the third fastest by collegiate runners in the race. The top five spots all went to professional runners who were racing for Nike.