University of Maryland, Baltimore County

2009-10 Indoor: Earned gold and broke the school record in the 5,000-meter run in 16:47.69 at the America East Championships… Took home bronze in the 3,000-meter run in 9:53.32 and placed fourth in 4:55.21 at the conference meet… Named to the CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Cross Country and Track and Field First Team… Both the 3,000 and the mile were season-best times… Won the 3,000 at the New York Armory in 9:55.14… Recognized on the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll… Named UMBC’s Female Most Outstanding Athlete at UMBC’s varsity awards ceremony in May… Also named team’s Most Valuable Athlete at the same ceremony.

2009 Outdoor: Placed sixth in the 1,500-meter run at the America East Championships with a time of 4:39.00… Recorded a season-best time of 4:39.02 in the 1500 at the Bucknell Team Challenge... Named to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
 
2008-09 Indoor: Earned bronze in the 1-mile run at the America East Championships with a time of 4:57.06… Also placed third in the 3,000-meter run at the conference meet in a season-best time of 9:59.40… Member of the distance medley relay team that placed third at the conference meet with a time of 12:19.35…Recorded a season-best time of 4:55.18 in the 1-mile run at the Rider/Lafayette Winter Games… Named Most Valuable Athlete at UMBC’s varsity awards banquet in May.

2008 Cross Country: Finished ninth in the 5K run in 17:59.7 at the America East Championships… Placed third in the 6K run in 22:13.50 at the Princeton Invitational… Finished first in the 5K run in 18:14 at the Towson Invitational.

Background: A foreign exchange student from Loughborough University in England… Part of the 2008 British Universities Sports Association Athletics (BUSA) championship team for Loughborough… Also part of the Lancashire cross country team from 2005-07 and was the 2004 Lancashire long jump champion… Captained her team in 2003-04 at St. Michael’s C.E… Also played netball for Loughborough, where she was part of the BUSA championship team in 2006-07 and the runner-up team in 2007-08… Named the netball Player of the Year in 2006 for Lancashire and Leyland… Also named the Sports Person of the Year in 2006 at Cardinal Newman College and the Volunteer of the Year in 2007-08 by Loughborough Netball Club.

Personal: One of two children to Shelley and Gerald Parkinson… Has a brother, Lee… Majoring in geography and sports science and would like to become a sports events organizer… Born March 9, 1988.