Arkansas distance runner Grace Heymsfield broke her own school record in the 3,000 meters steeplechase Friday at the NCAA Championship in Eugene, Ore.
The Elkins grad ran a time of 9:49.01 and finished sixth place. Fellow teammate Jessica Kamilos was right behind her in seventh.
“We were definitely conscious of both of us being in the race, it’s always nice to have a teammate,” said Heymsfield. “We just wanted to secure our top eight positions for both of us. With the prelims, you never know how you’ll feel two days later but thankfully our training prepared us to be able to run strong today in the finals.”
"Grace Heymsfield and Jessica Kamilos both run a lifetime best," said head coach Lance Harter. "It’s been a great day. It is strength in numbers, everyone is out there pulling together for a solid day. I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Overall the women's team combined for 14.5 points on Friday putting them in 11th place heading into the final day.
The men's team is currently tied for 15th place, highlighted by Patrick Rono's fourth place finish in the 800 meters.
In his first-ever NCAA Championship finals appearance, Rono was part of the four-man cluster at the finish line, coming in at 1:46.46, a new personal best for the junior. Only two-tenths of a second separated the top-four finishes.
“It was a great experience,” said Rono. “I didn’t necessarily accomplish my goal but I set a PR and got All-American in my first-ever outdoor finals. I gained a lot of experience and had great day overall, I’m happy about my performance.”