Brick's Handchen Takes Silver At Conference USA Track Championships

A Brick Township resident won a silver medal at the NCAA Conference USA Track and Field Championships this weekend in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Ashleigh Handchen, a senior at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, took second in the 3000m steeplechase at the Conference USA championships, while recording a personal best of 10 minutes, 38.67 seconds, according to report on the UNC Charlotte website.

"Handchen kept pace near the front of the pack the entire race, and then poured it on in the last lap to take second, as she replaces herself for third on the All-Time Performances Lists," the report said.

Handchen had finished ninth at the Conference USA championships in the 3000m steeplechase last year, according to the website.

Hanchen also runs cross country for the 49ers, where she finished the season as Charlotte’s No. 2/No. 3 finisher. She was 25th overall at the Wake Forest Invitational (second on squad) and 98th overall at the NCAA Regionals (third on squad).

Handchen is the daughter of Brick Township High School athletic director Rick Handchen and retired Brick teacher Crystal Handchen. She graduated from Red Bank Catholic in 2012.