The Mustangs gathered their third title of the 2000 NCAA Championships when Tytti Reho crossed the finish line first in the women's 800m run on Friday evening. The junior from Finland ran 2:01.43 to turn back the field and bring home her first individual title. She was the first female mustang to win an 800m title and SMU's first 800m title winner since Sammy Koseki won indoors and outdoors in 1981.
The 2000 NCAA Indoor winner, Chantee Earl of Pittsburg took the early pace setting duties, clocking a first lap split of 57.75. Reho followed in fourth with a split in the mid 58's. With 80 meters remaining, she kicked past a fading Earl and pulled away to a comfortable margin of victory of over a second.
Her time of 2:01.43 was just .16 seconds off Reho's personal best of 2:01.27 set in the summer of 1999. That time is the SMU and WAC outdoor record. She is just the second SMU female to win a title on the track. In 1995 and 1996, Katie Swords won the 10,000 meters. Reho's 800m time was the fastest recorded by a collegiate woman this year.
This was the sixth time that Reho has appeared at an NCAA Championship race. It was also the sixth time that she achieved All-American Status. She has finished third three times, fourth and eighth once, and now first once.
Tytti Reho Quotes
"I learned a couple years ago to think about how the race would go in my mind. I knew that Chante (Earl) would go out fast. With 400 m to go, I noticed I felt good. With 300m, I saw they were right in front of me, and then I made my move."
When the race goes as planned, everything is really easy. You get to listen to the people around you breathe, you get to look at the people in the stands.
"I did exactly what I planned to do. No surprises. Exactly."
This is your first championship. What did you do differently?
"I was healthy."
"I've had 5 surgeries on my foot, and never been healthy for a collegiate season."
"I'm trying to be in really good shape in July, so I can run the Olympics standard."
"I ran 58-58 high on my first lap, which was perfect."
"Today, I enjoyed this so much."
On the difference between track in the US and track in Europe:
"Here, you represent your school. I would have a hard time continuing after college. The system kind of sucks, frankly. In Finland, you compete with your club. In the US, you have to get sponsorship. You have to be really good to make a lot of money. Everyone else barely makes anything. Then you have to travel a long way to compete in the US and that costs money. In Europe, the meets aren't that far apart."
"I'm not doing this for money, but you've got to live. Today, I enjoyed this so much."
"In the US, it's expected that after you graduate from college, you go to work. In Finland, it's easier. You could work for 5 hours a day and then train. People are more understanding. In Europe, people respect track a little bit more."
"If I were doing this for money, I would be stressing all the time.
On why track isn't very big in the US:
"Track is not a show event, like football. You have to know about track to enjoy it. You gotta know what 2:01 stands for. You really got to be in it to understand it."
