RESULTS
AZUSA, Calif. — School record? Czech.
Bára Stýblová, the Vikings' graduate transfer from the Czech Republic, already earned a share of the women's DMR record during the indoor season. But Thursday night, she added an individual school record to her resume as she broke a five-year-old mark in the women's 3k steeplechase on the first day of the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Stýblová finished in 10:17.05 Thursday, four and a half seconds under Sarah Medved's old mark of 10:21.56 from 2018. Stýblová came within two-tenths of a second of Medved in her first race of the outdoor season, which came two weeks earlier at the Stanford Invitational. She ran 10:21.75 that time but dropped that by close to five seconds Thursday at Cougar Stadium.
The school record also put Stýblová in a more secure position to qualify for the NCAA West Prelims at the end of May. Her time at the Stanford Invite was under the final qualifying time a year ago (10:24.63), but it still put her on the qualifying bubble. By dropping her time Thursday, Stýblová should all but be assured of finishing among the 48 qualifiers in the NCAA West region.
Tatum Miller will be in that discussion as well, after dropping her time from the Stanford Invite by eight seconds. Miller broke free from the competition in her heat of the steeplechase, winning by close to two seconds while finishing in 10:23.29. That won't put Miller in the solid position Stýblová finds herself in, but it will put her on the qualifying bubble.
Alex Barbour also finds herself on the qualifying bubble, having run 10:22.98 at the Stanford Invite. She ran the steeplechase again Thursday, but didn't improve her time, finishing in 10:25.25.
The biggest personal best of the day came from
Phoebe Brown, who cracked 11 minutes in the steeplechase for the first time in her career. Brown did it by a comfortable margin, too, as she shaved 15 seconds off her previous best while finishing in 10:48.72.
Brown has now shaved close to 30 seconds off her personal best in the steeplechase over her last two races. Before her showing Thursday, she set a 13-second personal best at the Pacific Open on April 1. That came despite essentially running on her own, as she won the race by close to 80 seconds. Thursday night, Brown had the competition she needed to push her to a better time.
So did Stýblová, and now she owns not just a relay school record but an individual one as well.
Bryan Clay Invitational
Cougar Stadium
Azusa, Calif.
April 13, 2023
Women's Results:
3,000m Steeplechase: Bára Stýblová, 10:17.05; 34.
Tatum Miller, 10:23.29; 38.
Alex Barbour, 10:25.25; 77.
Phoebe Brown, 10:48.72.
