Donohue never faded, winning the race in 4 minutes, 56 seconds and claiming her first collegiate victory. Throughout the eight laps, only Georgia Tech's Nicole Campbell tested her.
Donohue's first-place finish helped power the UNC women's track and field team to its first victory of the year in the team-scoring season opener.
The Tar Heels held off Georgia Tech 115-114 while the UNC men placed second to Georgia Tech, 112-96.5, at this weekend's Carolina Elite Invitational in the Eddie Smith Fieldhouse.
"It's a good time for the start of the year, but I'm not too excited," Donohue said. "It feels good to be winning again. It's tough going from winning all the little races in high school to being in the middle of the pack (in college)."
Zach Victor equalled Donohue's first-place finish in the men's mile, winning with a time of 4:16. UNC's Adam Shunk won the high jump, clearing 7 feet, 4 1/2 inches and qualifying for the NCAA championships.
"The good thing about qualifying early is you can worry about training and not competing," said UNC coach Dennis Craddock.
The throwers also pitched in for the Tar Heels. Ian Douglas finished first in the shot put and third in the weight toss with a toss of 57-7.
But perhaps the most remarkable win came from sophomore distance runner Shalane Flanagan. Despite running speed workouts throughout the week, Flanagan cruised to a 9:17 victory in the 3,000-meter run, qualifying her for NCAAs.
Flanagan and teammate Carol Henry followed Tech's Renee Metivier for much of the race. Then Flanagan grabbed first place and widened the gap.
