PORTLAND, Ore. — Emma Stolte should do an infomercial for a StairMaster. She's no stranger to steps up, at least. She made a big one after placing second in the 1,500 meters at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships, then took one more step to the top of the podium after winning the conference title in the 5k – the first Viking ever to do so.
 
So, the step up in competition at this week's NCAA West First Round shouldn't intimidate her.
 
Stolte races in the first round of the women's 1,500 meters at 4:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday. Should she advance – by finishing in the top five of her heat or posting one of the next four best times across all four heats – she'll run in the quarterfinals Saturday at 3:15 p.m. PT / 5:15 p.m. CT.
 
The top five in each of the two heats in the quarterfinals, plus the next two best times across both heats, will advance to the NCAA Outdoor Championships, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
 
Stolte qualified for the NCAA West First Round on the back of her school record of 4:20.17 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 18. It was one of three school records Stolte set between the indoor and outdoor seasons, joining her records in the indoor 800 meters (2:08.51) and outdoor 5k (15:59.87).
 
The three previous records she bettered in those events all came with a bit of history, either because of who set them or how long they had stood. She bettered the record of two-time NCAA second-team All-American Katie Camarena in the indoor 800 meters. Outdoors, she bettered a 12-year-old mark in the 1,500 meters and a 39-year-old mark in the 5k that 11-time NCAA Division II All-American Debbie Myra set back in 1987.
 
Stolte rewrote the history books again at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships earlier this month. Not only was her conference title in the 5k the first-ever by a Viking, but she was also the first to make the podium in the 1,500 meters since 2014. Additionally, she became the Vikings' first athlete to make two different podiums at a single conference meet since 2017.
 
The NCAA West First Round represents a new chance for Stotle to make more history. She's only the third Viking ever to qualify in the women's 1,500 meters, and the first since 2013. The field won't make it easy for her. Ten different runners in Thursday's first round cracked 4:10 this season, three of whom will be in Stolte's heat. But Stolte also has an advantage running in the last of four heats, meaning she will know the bubble time needed to qualify for Saturday's quarterfinal going into her race.
 
Advancing across either or both rounds this week will represent another big step for Stolte. That's something she's been doing all year.
 
So, get to steppin', Emma.
 
MEET INFO
May 27-30 – NCAA West First Round – Fayetteville, Ark. (John McDonnell Field)
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Live Results | Live Video (Thursday | Saturday)
 
MEET SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 28
Time – Events (PSU Entries)
4:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. CT – Women's 1,500 Meters – First Round (Heat 4 of 4 – Stolte)
 
Saturday, May 30
Time – Events (PSU Entries)
3:15 p.m. PT / 5:15 p.m. CT – Women's 1,500 Meters – Quarterfinals (TBD)