By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
WAVERLY, Iowa -- Taylor Ostrander (Sr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) from Willamette University took 11th place in the final of the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2016 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday, May 28 at Walston-Hoover Stadium. Ostrander, participating in the NCAA Championships for the fourth time in track and field, was competing in the steeplechase final for the third year in a row.
Also competing for Willamette on the final day of the NCAA Championships, was Olivia Mancl (Jr./So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS), who finished 19th in the women's 5,000-meter run.
In the steeplechase final, Ostrander registered a time of 11:05.06. She placed 11th for the second time, matching her finish at the 2014 NCAA Championships. She was 13th at the 2015 NCAA Championships and took 22nd place in 2013.
Ostrander was part of the lead pack -- which varied between eight and 11 runners -- for most of this year's championship race. The pack began to break up over the final three laps, with Jacqueline Huben of SUNY Geneseo (N.Y.) winning the race in 10:38.60. Erin Hermann from Hope College (Mich.) claimed second place in 10:41.30, and Jordan Tuini of Wheaton College (Mass. or Ill.) was third in 10:42.04.
A total of 14 runners competed in the steeplechase final after the field of 22 runners was reduced during two preliminary heats on Thursday.
Ostrander is the third Willamette athlete to compete in eight NCAA Championships -- four in track and field and four in cross country. Also competing in eight championships were Nick Symmonds ('06) and Michaela Freeby ('15).
In the championship race in the 5,000-meter run, Mancl took 19th place with a time of 18:32.63.
The 5,000 was won by Amy Regan from Stevens Institute of Technology (N.J.), who took the lead at the start of the race and won by a wide margin in 16:27.32. Katie McMenamin of Swarthmore College (Pa.) was second in 16:44.02. Maya Weigel from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) took third place in 16:52.86.
On Thursday, Regan also grabbed the NCAA title in the 10,000-meter run with a winning time of 35:46.27
