Becoming an All-American for the Oregon Ducks took a while to sink in for Katie Conlon.

It was certainly understandable for the former Jimmie and Blue Jay standout. It'd be like a basketball player excelling at Duke. Or a football player going to Alabama or Ohio State.

Eugene, Ore., is Track Town, USA — or as Conlon put it, "The Mecca for distance runners. … The holy grail."

So when Conlon placed 39th — the top 40 runners earn All-American status — at the NCAA national championships Nov. 17 at Louisville, even she needed a little time to digest it.

A week later, back home in Jamestown, it was still hard to believe.

"If you would have told me at the beginning of the season, I would have laughed at you," she said. "It just wasn't in my line of thinking.

"As the season was progressing I started realizing it wasn't completely out of my reach, but I still never would have thought it happened until it actually did."

Conlon's season and career best time of 20 minutes, 15 seconds in the 6,000-meter race was largely credited with helping push the Ducks over the top to win their first national title since 1987. Standing on the podium with her teammates and receiving the championship trophy was something she'll never forget.