College: NC State
Event: 5,000m- 15:08.52
Coach: Mark Rowland
Julia Lucas is originally from North Carolina. Lucas attended NC State University where she helped to lead the successful Wolfpack Women’s team for her entire tenure. In 2007 Lucas won the prestigious H.C. Kennett Award as the most outstanding NC State female student-athlete. In all Lucas was an All-American three times, an All-ACC performer five times and a two time ACC Champion during her career in Raleigh.
Professional: Julia rewrote most of her personal record book in the 2012 season. In her first race of the new year, Lucas shattered her indoor personal best in the 3,000 meters at the Washington Invitational in Seattle, with a time of 9:01.16. Before moving to her specialty distance of the 5,000 meters, Julia raced a 1,500 meters in 4:10.75 and an impressive road 8k in 25:36. At her debut in the 5,000 meters, Julia threw down a huge 25-second personal best and Olympic 'A' standard time at the Payton Jordan Invitational, where she placed second behind teammate Sally Kipyego in 15:08.52. Julia's final tune-up for the U.S. Olympic Trials was at the Oxy High Performance Meet in Los Angeles. She ran another personal best in the 1,500 meters with a 4:07.23. In the Olympic Trials, Julia ran through her semifinal into the final where she missed making the Olympic team by .04 seconds. Lucas wrapped up her 2012 season with a couple successful road races, a third place at the Bix 7 Mile and a sixth place at the Beacon to Beacon 10k.
2010 and 2011 were rebuilding years for Lucas. She still qualified for the USA National Championships in the 1500 and ran several road-racing events.
Previous Professional: Lucas joined the Oregon Track Club Elite in the fall of 2009….From Raleigh, NC she began her professional career training with the Mammoth Track Club. Despite several years of injuries, she managed to place sixth at the 2008 Mt. SAC Relays with a PB time of 15:33.05.
College: While attending NC State, Lucas was a six-time NCAA All-American. She was an All-ACC finisher seven times and a three-time ACC Champion. Before she graduated, she was awarded the honorary 2007 H.C. Kennett Award for the most outstanding female athlete. She holds the school record in the Indoor 3k (9:03.47) as well as the Indoor DMR (11.39.55). In 2004, she won the prestigious Penn Relays 3k in a time of 9:26.78. In 2003 she placed 5th at the USA Junior Cross Country Championships. This qualified her to represent her country at the Junior World Championships in Lausanna, Switzerland where she was the 41st finisher and helped team USA place 4th.
High School: Attending Myers Park High School in North Carolina, Lucas set a state record in the indoor 1,000 meters (2:56) and ran 10:31 for two-miles. By the time she graduated she won six state high school titles and set nine school records. In 2002 she was the High School National Champion in the Indoor Mile (4:51).
Personal: Born March 4, 1984 to Scott and Margaret Lucas. At NC State she studied Linguistics. She has a brother, Karl and a sister Alex.
PERSONAL BESTS- Outdoor
1,500 meters - 4:07.23 - Oxy High Performance, Los Angeles, Calif. - May 18, 2012
5,000 meters - 15:08.52 - Payton Jordan Invitational, Palo Alto, Calif. - April 29, 2012
PERSONAL BESTS- Indoor
3,000 meters - 9:01.16 - Washington Invitational, Seattle, Wash. - January 27, 2012
