Ostrander and Schoffield Advance to Finals

Thursday, June 6

Austin, Texas

All Day

Boise State

NCAA National Championships- Day Two

6/6/2019 10:17:00 PM | Track & Field

Day 2 Results Photo Gallery

Allie Ostrander (3,000-meter steeplechase) and Kristie Schoffield (800-meter) both advanced to the finals of their respective events to led Boise State at the NCAA Championships

By: Courtesy: Boise State Athletics

AUSTIN, Texas – The Boise State track and field team will have three scoring opportunities for Saturday's final day of the 2019 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The weather in Austin may have been sweltering, but the Broncos brought some heat of their own on the team's first day of action.

Both Allie Ostrander and Kristie Schoffield advanced through the semifinal rounds of their respective events, posting historic performances on Thursday at Mike A. Myers Stadium.

"I thought Allie looked spectacular today – she did what she needed to do to get through, and in doing so looked really under control and relaxed," head coach Corey Ihmels said. "I didn't feel like she extended (her effort) too hard in any which way."

#3Peat for Allie O? pic.twitter.com/yBbknoCCGB
— NCAA Track & Field (@NCAATrackField) June 7, 2019

Ostrander easily won her heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase to grab one of her heat's five automatic qualifiers. The redshirt junior, and two-time defending national champion in the event, reset the NCAA semifinal record she set last season in Eugene, running 9:44.32 to move one race closer to a three-peat.

The Kenai, Alaska, native held steady in the pack for the first half of the race, running with the leaders. Around the 1200-meter mark of the race, she slowly began to pull one second ahead of the rest of the field. Ostrander methodically increased her lead over the field, and she won her heat by three-seconds to also set the facility record in the event.

"The first race of NCAAs is always kind of nerve-racking," Ostrander said. "It was nice to get through the prelims cleanly and focus my attention on the final."

Only the second woman to qualify for the NCAA outdoor championships in the 800-meter, Kristie Schoffield became the first to advance to the final of the event with a gutsy performance. Only a sophomore, Schoffield used a late charge down the home stretch to take third in her heat. While she was unable to grab one of the automatic spots from her heat, her time of 2:03.53 gave her the first time qualifier to the final.

"Obviously Kristie came back, and she ran a gutsy race," Ihmels said. "She didn't give up on it and kept coming at the end. It was just a great, great run for her second year. She's now made the final of the NCAA 800-meters, which is a really tough event to get to the final right now. I'm really proud of her and her finish."

By the narrowest of margins!! Schoffield becomes the first Bronco to advance to the final of a 800m, running 2:03.55 to grab one of the time qualifiers!#BleedBlue | #ncaaTF pic.twitter.com/QyB5dY9jWY
— Boise State T&F (@BroncoSportsTF) June 7, 2019

"I could see (Susan Ejore) moving up, and I was just trying to catch her every step. I felt like I was gaining on her – I just need a couple more meters at the end," Schoffield added.

Alexis Fuller opened action for the Broncos in the women's 1,500-meter. The senior was unable to advance to the final, but her performance earned her All-America honorable mention honors. Fuller ends her Boise State career with the school record in the event (4:11.18), and as a five-time All-American.

"Alexis had a rough one today – it happens," Ihmels said. "But that doesn't take away from her career. She's done so much for a program, and I'm sad to to see that come to a premature end. She had a spectacular career, and we're proud to have had her with us these last four years."

Dear Bronco Nation 🐴,

Thank you for a wonderful career, @alexisfullerr! You have left your mark on this program! #BleedBlue | #ncaaTF pic.twitter.com/F08BkrPxpP
— Boise State T&F (@BroncoSportsTF) June 7, 2019

With Ostrander doubling up in 5,000-meter, the Broncos will have three scoring opportunities on Saturday's final day of the season. She will open action with the steeplechase at 4:54 p.m. (MT), and running the 5,000-meter 90 minutes later at 6:25 p.m. MT. Schoffield will race the 800-meter at 6:13 p.m. MT.

BOISE STATE RESULTS

Women

800-meter | 6. Kristie Schoffield- 2:03.53

1,500-meter | 24. Alexis Fuller- 4:30.62

3,000-meter Steeplechase | 1. Allie Ostrander- 9:44.32