Leading down the final stretch in Thursday’s opening round preliminary, Allie Ostrander easily qualified for the finals in the NCAA Division I Womens 3000M Steeplechase in the first round of competition at the 2017 NCAA Division I Track and Field Championships in Eugene Oregon.
In the second of two preliminary heats, Ostrander, a Boise State red-shirt freshman and KCHS graduate ,ran a controlled race, running in the front pack for the final three laps and in the lead down the stretch, cruising to a third-place finish in the heat. The top three steeplechasers were separated by only .04 of a second, with heat winner Hope Schmelzle charging to close the heat in first place.
Race coverage provided by ESPN
The top five finishers in each heat and the next two fastest times qualify to the Women’s 3000M Steeplchase finals on Saturday, May 10th; race time scheduled for 3:54 p.m. PST.
Ostrander is also scheduled to compete in the Womens 5000M final on Saturday which is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. PST. If Ostrander runs both finals, she will have less than 90 minutes between finals.
Ostrander NCAA Race Timeline
Saturday, 3:54 p.m. PST 3000M Steeplechase Final
Saturday, 5:25 p.m. PST 5000M Final
Ostrander recorded a 16:25.76 in the Womens 5000M at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships in Austin; good for second place and a position at the 5000M finals at the national championships.
NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., run through June 10 at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon.
Photo courtesy of broncosports.com
