The heat and humidity made Sunday's competition more of a tactical race, rather than one where the fastest participant necessarily won, women's cross-country head coach Mark Coogan said. If the race had been faster, D'Agostino would have probably been in the top three, he added.
D'Agostino was competing against women with more experience. Jennifer Simpson, who came in first, won a gold medal in the 1,500-meter at the 2011 World Championships, and Molly Huddle, who came in second, holds the American record for the 5,000-meter at 14:44.76.
The runners stayed bunched together for most of the warm and windy race, with the front group breaking away as they headed into the last lap. D'Agostino stuck with the group of five front-runners until the last 200 meters, when Simpson 15:33.77 and Huddle 15:35.45 burst ahead and sprinted to the finish line.
"With 400 to go, I was right in that top five, and I did my best, and it turned out with 200 to go the other women kicked into another gear that I didn't have," D'Agostino said. "I gave it my best effort, and I'm just happy to have been there."
D'Agostino was the only collegiate runner to finish in the top 10.
Coogan said he was proud of D'Agostino's performance.
"She was running with the world champion, American record holder and another medalist from world champs," Coogan said in an email. "It was amazing to watch her run with truly elite champions."
D'Agostino's participation in the competition "puts Dartmouth in the minds of young men and women who maybe didn't think of us as a program that has that caliber athlete," women's track and field head coach Sandy Ford-Centonze said.
While the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be the most important race for D'Agostino after she graduates, the NCAA Championships are "still her top priority" as a collegiate athlete, Coogan said.
D'Agostino has had a season with unprecedented success for an Ivy League athlete. Earlier this month she won the 5,000-meter at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., following national titles in the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter during the indoor season.
"No one from the Ivy League has ever had anything close to what she's accomplished this year," Coogan said.
D'Agostino was also recently nominated a semifinalist for the Bowerman Award, presented annually to the nation's best collegiate track and field athletes.
"The Bowerman means Abbey is doing what no Ivy athlete has ever done: compete at the top level and win NCAA championships," Coogan said. "It's awesome she is in consideration for this prestigious award."
The Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association will name three finalists for the award on July 10.
Coogan and D'Agostino are discussing her next move. While she may compete in professional races in Europe this summer, she is also considering taking a few weeks off.
"She goes year-round," Coogan said. "She needs to take a break somewhere."
Although she has never been to Europe, D'Agostino said she is focused on preparing for the upcoming year.
"Ultimately, I want to do what's best for next season," she said.
