After a three hours and 15 minute weather delay, the first
day of competition was completed this evening at John McDonnell Field in
Fayetteville, Ark. Missouri State
sophomore Terry Phillips ran a time of 10:29.16 to finish 20th in the
3,000-meter steeplechase at the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field
Championship.
Phillips’ time is her third fastest time of the season and
the fourth fastest all-time at Missouri State.
Her 20th-place finish is the best-ever by a Missouri State runner in the
3,000-meter steeplechase at the Division I Championship. Last season, Jamie Vest finished 26th in the
steeplechase at the national meet.
Phillips caps off a phenomenal season in which she set the
Missouri State school record in the steeplechase at 10:19.45. She earned the automatic bid to the
Championship meet on the strength of her fifth-place finish at the NCAA Mideast
Regional Championship. She earned All-MVC honors during the indoor
season in the mile run and 5,000-meter run, in the 3,000-meter steeplechase for
the outdoor season and for her cross country performance. She was also named All-Midwest Region in cross
country last fall. She was named to the MVC
Scholar-Athlete team with a 4.00 GPA in Biochemistry and received the MVC
Scholar-Athlete of the Week honor for the week of April 6-12.
The 2009 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field
Championship continues through June 13 at John McDonnell Field in Fayetteville,
Ark.