FROM STAFF REPORTS

Former Pelham High School athlete Dena O’Brien set a new school record at the College of Charleston in the mile run to open the Cougars’ indoor track season Jan. 22.

O’Brien, a freshman at College of Charleston, set the school record with her time of 4:59.63 at the Mountaineer Open hosted by Appalachian State University.

O’Brien’s time also established a facility record at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C., beating the previous record of 5:01.03 set in 2002.

In the mile race, O’Brien led nearly the entire way and finished more than five seconds in front of the second-place finisher. O’Brien is coming off of a cross country season in the fall of 2010 in which she was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year after a fifth-place showing at the SoCon Championships.

O’Brien’s school record breaks the previous mark of 5:13.27, which was set by Amy Laughlin in 2007.