Hill Advances to IAAF World U20 Final in Record Fashion
7/10/2018 10:12:00 AM | Women's Track & Field
TAMPERE, Finland -- In just her second try at the 3,000-meter steeplechase, rising sophomore Alice Hill of the University of Michigan women's track and field team has advanced to the final of the 2018 IAAF World U20 Championships with one of the best runs in school history on Tuesday (July 10).
Hill, a graduate of Ann Arbor Pioneer High School representing Team USA in Finland, clocked a new Michigan freshman record of 10:09.15 in Tuesday morning's steeplechase prelims to clinch a berth to Friday's final set for 8:45 p.m. EEST (1:45 p.m. EDT).
The time fast enough to earn her sixth in her heat and 13th overall in the prelims round, giving her the fourth of six non-automatic berths to the 15-woman final.
Hill's effort marked a nearly 22-second improvement over her debut in the event at the USATF Junior Championships last month, and was enough to catapult her to No. 5 overall on the list of all-time Wolverine steeplechasers.
Nationally, only three other first-year NCAA Division I women in 2018 have logged faster performances in the event than did Hill in Tampere on Tuesday morning.
Also in action on Tuesday morning was incoming first-year Wolverine Aurora Rynda of Canada, who finished 34th overall in the 800-meter preliminaries. She clocked 2:12.31 for seventh in her heat, but did not advance to the next round.
FULL MICHIGAN RESULTS BY EVENT
q = Advanced to the next round with a non-automatic, at-large berth
800 Meters (Prelims)
34. Aurora Rynda / 2:12.31
Steeplechase (Prelims)
Final to be contested Friday at 8:45 p.m. EEST (1:45 p.m. EDT)
13. Alice Hill / 10:09.15q
Players Mentioned
