Allie Ostrander Run’s For History in Austin, Texas
Boise State junior distance runner Allie Ostrander will run for history Saturday as she attempts to three peat in the NCAA Women's 3,000 meter Steeplechase at the NCAA Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas.
The two time defending champion qualified for the finals by winning the second preliminary heat Thursday night in a facility record time of 9:44:32.
While that was the fastest Steeplechase ever run in Austin, it was not close to Ostrander's personal best of 9:38:57 nor her 9:40:05 earlier this year which still stands as the best time this season.
The 5-1 junior who has that grade school look is an absolute competitor on the track. Still, after winning Thursday's heat, Ostrander walked around the track congratulated everyone and also cheeked on the well being of those who had fallen to the track in udder exhaustion. Allie had gone from killer competitor mode to mom mode!
Saturdays schedule for Ostrander will be daunting. She runs the 3,000 meter Steeplechase at 4:54 mdt followed 90 minutes later at 6:25 mdt by the 5,000 meter run where she has the second fastest time this year.
Two years ago Ostrander was the only competitor to try the distance double. At the time other coaches questioned the wisdom of running the 3,000 Steeplechase and 5,000 meters since they were less than two hours apart but this year a total of six women will compete in both events Saturday.
As always, Ostrander leads the way.
She also has the fastest time this year in the 10,000 meter run but something had to give and so she isn't competing in that event. Of course if anyone could pull it off, she'd be the one!
Ostrander will try and become the only Bronco athlete to win three national titles in any sport. A three peat in the Steeplechase would be unprecedented but what if she also won the 5,000 meters?
As unlikely as that may sound, Ostrander wouldn't have entered both if she didn't have plans to win both....That's just pure Allie!